Harry Potter, Righteous Fury
by HRBNGR
Summary: The Sequel to Binding Fury. You will need to read that first to understand, this continues on almost immediately. Harry and Ginny Soul-Bound, are about to enter their 5th year of Hogwarts. Voldemort has been resurrected and his Death Eaters are mounting attacks. As the world gets Darker the pair fight for each other. As with lots of AU stories, most characters are OOC, and react so
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1. Moments like these.**

"Harry… you should have protected me, saved me. I know you could." Cedric said as he lay on the grass beside him, staring into Harry's eyes with his dead ones. "You let him return… The blood of thousands of people will be on your hands…"

"I know… I'm sorry I couldn't save you!" Harry whispered back as he stood. He turned to face an oncoming Snape and Pettigrew. Wands trained on him, Harry tried to lift his Glaives, but he couldn't lift them, he was too weak.

"Pathetic Potter," Snape sneered at him.

"Weak like your parents were." Voldemort hissed at him. Harry's parents standing beside Voldemort now, not the ghostly figures that arose from the wand during the fight, but his parents… alive.

"I never meant it when I said I was proud of you Harry." James said.

"I'm glad I won't be around to watch you fail." Lily said.

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ Voldemort screeched. James and Lily fell to the curse.

"No…" Harry whispered.

"Potter…" Ginny said from behind him, Glaive now turned on him as she made her way around to Voldemort's side, she kissed him, causing Harry to whimper in despair. "…I could never be with someone as weak as you… _Avada Kedavra,_ " She said calmly as a flash of green light took Harry.

Harry jumped awake, panting, tears in his eyes. He looked down to Ginny who was still asleep lying next to him, arm draped across his chest. Harry gently removed her arm from him and stood, making his way out to the kitchen of their home on Potter Island.

"What was that?… I never have nightmares anymore…" He whispered to himself as he got a glass of water swigging it down.

Light was just beginning to creep through the sky, deciding he wasn't getting anymore sleep he went and got dressed into some running clothes and went down to the beach to work off some of the frustration from his dream.

Ginny awoke alone some hours later, she was relaxed and comfortable until she felt that Harry was far from that. To her he felt angry, downright furious, maddeningly so. She concentrated for a minute to try and pick up on what he was thinking, and she heard something that made, her blood run cold. _'Potter, I could never be with someone as weak as you… Avada Kedavra.'_ It repeated itself over and over.

"What on earth is Harry dwelling on…" She whispered worriedly as she got dressed and made her way out of the home in search of Harry.

After a short walk she came across Harry who was using both wands shooting flurries of spells into the ocean with destructive force. Sparks crackling around him with the exertion of his power, he looked like he had been training for a while and was now in the process of trying to magically exhaust himself.

"Harry?" She said tentatively. He spun around, wands levelled at her as she looked at him wide eyed. His eyes had a darkness in and around them, just like after the second task. She was even more worried when Harry didn't immediately lower the wands. "Harry…" Ginny whispered again as she edged forwards. "…It's me love… What's wrong? What can I hear through our bond?"

"Gin?" Harry said softly as realisation crept over his face. Then he fainted.

* * *

Harry was laying underneath what felt like a black curtain of almost suffocating fog. But he could hear familiar voices above him if he concentrated hard enough.

"What's wrong with him?" Asked a soft young sounding female voice, he felt a reaction to it deep within him. He loved the person attached to it. _'Ginny…'_ He thought to himself. Then he heard another voice.

"I'm not sure young one," An older female voice said. "It could be an after effect of being separated from you in the tournament still."

"Yes." Said a man now, "He may have never in fact dealt with the fact that he was quite damaged when he was separated from you."

"He said he felt like he was turning evil." Ginny said again. Harry then heard her voice from the dream in his head again. _'Potter, I could never be with someone as weak as you… Avada Kedavra.'_

"I swear I keep hearing myself through our bond." Ginny said to the others in the room. "But it isn't something I have or would ever say."

"He must be focusing on a nightmare…" the man mused aloud. Harry was tired, he let the blackness wash over him again.

' _Harry, I love you.'_ Ginny's voice punctured through the blackness of his mind. _'Please wake up, I need you'_ She sobbed, he felt her holding him. His eyes fluttered open, the overwhelming need to be there for her, to comfort her, consuming his darkness as he woke to see it was late afternoon and the red hair of Ginny sprawled across his chest.

"Gin…" Harry whispered, causing her to jump in shock.

"Harry!" She practically squealed as she leapt onto him and kissed him thoroughly.

"What happened to me?" Harry said after she surrendered his lips back to him, "one minute I was training on the beach, the next I was surrounded by an almost suffocating blackness… I heard you and the Flamels I think."  
"We don't know Harry," She said as she looked downward before looking back into his eyes. "What was I hearing before? It sounded like me talking in your head."

"Oh… Ummm… I had a nightmare…" Harry said looking upset. "It wasn't pleasant."

"It didn't sound it… You know I could never be with anyone else, don't you Harry? Even if I could, I'd never want to." Ginny said.

"Yeah I know, because of the bond…" Harry said.

Ginny reached up and touched his face softly. She forced herself to remain calm at that remark. "No Harry, not because of the bond." She shook her head. "Because I love you. I know you still don't feel like you deserve love from anyone, but you do... Fuck, I am going to kill that Vernon Dursley…" She growled, Harry just smirked at her, she was cute when she was angry. "You are a wonderful young man Harry, and I love you because of who you are." Harry shrugged non-committal. "HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Ginny said becoming angry that he had simply brushed off her words. "After all we have been through, do you simply think that I would or could walk away from you? Could you willingly walk away from me?" Harry shook his head, fresh tears in his eyes. Ginny had tears streaming down her face. "Then don't you dare think for one second that I could simply abandon you. I need you! Just like you need me!"

"I love you Gin…" Harry said. "I can't live without you."

"That much is obvious, I feel the same way…" Ginny thought for a moment before she spoke again. "Harry you know I was never loved as a child, not unlike you, but I was never tortured." Harry nodded, "Well at times I feel like I don't deserve you either, but I will NEVER give up on us. I love you too much." Harry smiled and pulled her into a tight hug, she kissed him softly, after a moment he kissed her back. They lay together in the bed until sleep claimed them.

* * *

"Milord," Severus Snape said, kneeling before the re-growing feet of the Dark Lord Voldemort. "You appear to be healing well."

"Indeed Severus, arise." Voldemort hissed. "Have you come across a remedy for the potion Wormtail spoiled?"

"Yes my lord, however it will take just over 6 months to brew correctly."

"Then do it correctly Severus, I shall focus on healing until then. What of our plans?" Voldemort said in a softer tone.

"They will be carried out as per your wishes, and as instructed I will remain by your side." Snape said as he bowed deeper. "I must inform you that the old fool contacted me. Potter, it seems, is not assisting him in telling the masses of your return."

"I must admit that I am not surprised Severus," Voldemort said in return. "The Potter boy is not stupid, he knows he will be painted as insane. It seems the public quickly surmised that he defeated me all those years ago. Now, tell me. What did Dumbledore want in return?" Voldemort said with an evil glint behind the red snake like eyes.

* * *

Harry and Ginny shadow stepped to Flamel Island. It was the first day of June and it was a scorching hot day. Hermione and Neville were already waiting for the pair in the sitting room with Nicholas and Perenelle.

It'd been almost week since Harry had blacked out, Ginny had been keeping a close eye on him and they had only trained lightly together. She was worried but she never showed it outwardly, for which Harry was grateful.

"Now that we are all here," Nicholas spoke softly, but all could hear. "We can decide what we will work on first. I think we are all in agreement we do not need any more work on battle tactics?" The group nodded. "Very well, we shall simply work on combat, increasing our powers, and controlling them."

The group smiled, Harry for one, was eager to cut his teeth with some serious combat training again, it had been a while since he had worked hard on his Martial Arts, Sword and Magical combat techniques.

"After the Daily Prophet arrives, and we get the all clear floo from Minerva and Remus, we shall enter the Time-Room." Perenelle said, the group had set up a network of communication so that they could receive important updates. If anything required immediate attention, and they were in the Time-Room, then Milly from Potter Manor would let them know by entering the room and finding them immediately.

After they had received the all clear from the other adults, and checked the Daily Prophet contained nothing Dark, nor foreboding, the group headed into the Time-Room and trained. Each training session inside the room was approximately a month long.

This continued for several days before during a particularly intense sword fight between Harry and Neville, Milly appeared between them causing the pair to both fall backward. "Master Harry, Mistresses Family Home and Azkaban are both coming under attack sir!" she said distressed, before she disappeared again.

"Harry, Ginny." Nicholas said, "I think you two should appear as Harbinger and Interfector and stop the assault on the Burrow. Neville, Hermione, you two come with me and we will attempt to defend Azkaban, Neville you take lead." Neville nodded with a smirk. The group walked outside, prepared themselves and Shadow Stepped away.

Nicholas' group arrived in the middle of what had previously been a warzone, the tall dark prison looming over them, all had hoods raised and they were looking around the scorched clearing. It seemed like it was too late to do anything. They searched around and saw that many Auror guards had their throats slashed, they didn't even have wands drawn. There was not a Dementor to be seen, Harry and Ginny had destroyed much of their population during their third year at Hogwarts, the rest must have defected to Voldemort. As Neville looked around he quickly decided that there was a Death Eater or sympathiser who must have been working at the Prison for there to be as much death to the Aurors as there was here.

"It had to be an inside job." Hermione said softly to the group, putting his thoughts into words. Neville nodded to her once then pushed a finger to his lips. Nicholas had given him tactical lead, as they were confident in his leadership and he was plenty battle honed for the task, he was going to make his first mission out a success. They all crept up to the entrance to the large prison, Neville shut his eyes briefly and reached out with his Magical Perception that they had been taught during training.

He looked back at the group and held up 2 fingers, then held a flat palm to his left, indicating that there were 2 people inside the room directly to the left of the entrance. He then signalled to Hermione that they would enter quickly with wands out. There was an element of risk, but he was certain that they could handle it, he wasn't being cocky, he was just confident in his and Hermione's abilities. Nicholas and Perenelle were to wait for his command to enter.

With almost no warning, the young pair sprung into the room, wand and sword drawn each, ready to strike, but they couldn't see anyone but a pair of Aurors that were barely breathing.

"Death… Eaters…" One gurgled a last breath to Hermione before he stopped breathing altogether. The second was in better shape, as Neville signalled for Nicholas and Perenelle to enter as Hermione tended the man's wounds. Neville advanced slightly up the stairs, keeping a lookout.

"What's your name?" Hermione whispered as she was checking him over.

"Col… Colin Turner," He coughed out, "There were too many… so fast… So many dead." He said with a blank look in his eyes, Hermione was nodding. She was gathering Intel while she was tending the wounds of the man. He had large gashes across his stomach and up his sides. He was bloodied but still in reasonably good shape. He would survive, so Hermione pressed for more information to keep him talking and alert.

"Are there any still here?" She asked, Colin nodded and pointed up. "I'm going to transport you to St. Mungos now, you will be fine Colin." She said gently, as she cast a Portkey spell on his robes and he vanished.

Neville returned inside a moment later, Hermione immediately patted her wand forearm and pointed above her, symbolising enemies above. The pair had decided to learn muggle military hand signalling, as they couldn't communicate silently like Harry and Ginny could. Harry and Ginny however had learnt the same signalling so they could too communicate with Neville and Hermione.

The group slowly made their way up the stairs, and they heard light chatter. Neville signalled to stop and they listened.

"Do you really think they'll show?" One voice said.

"Well Snape said the Dark Lord thinks they will, so we just have to go off that." Another spoke up.

"I just hope Potter doesn't come…" Said the first.

"I'd take a quick death from him over Bellatrix, we should have left her here to rot... first thing she does when she gets a wand is Cruciatus me…" Another said…

Neville froze up at that. They had released the person who was responsible for his parents spending almost his entire life in the Mental Care ward of St. Mungos.

Neville was seeing red, but kept his cool. He had heard enough, and used his Magical perception to locate the Death Eaters, waited a moment to make sure they weren't moving or aware of their company, then he signalled for the others to follow him in a wedge formation as they crept around the corner.

.

Harry and Ginny arrived in the front yard of the Burrow silently. As soon as they landed however they were greeted with the screams of Molly Weasley and the pleading of Arthur.

The couple, weapons already drawn, hoods raised, sprung into action. Forgoing stealth, they silently decided shock and awe would be the correct approach for this scenario.

"Where is your daughter? Potters wife, where…" Growled a Death Eater, obviously knowing that Ginny was a Weasley. He never got to finish his question however as the front entrance to the Burrow exploded inward, instantly killing the Death Eater Guard who was standing behind it. Harry who had cast the Reductor charm, strode in and took the room at a glance, relaying what he could to Ginny who waited outside for a second.

' _Gin, two torturing your mother near the kitchen, another two standing guard over your father and Ron in the sitting room. No one else is here. Enter the living room.'_

"Well, well, what have we got… Hoargh!" The Death Eater finished as a green Glaive punctured his chest, putting an end to his sentence as he gurgled. Interfector removed the Glaive, spun around and took out the other one who was standing guard over brother and father with a quick bludgeoning hex, breaking his body internally, killing him instantly.

Harbinger meanwhile, casually walked forward, the Death Eaters torturing Molly, seeing their comrade's fall were shocked, one quickly recovered and pressed their Dark Mark before Harbinger cut him in half with the glowing red Glaive, as he fell to the floor screaming, he shot a Reductor curse at the other, punching a hole in the man's chest that he grabbed at before falling over dead.

Molly, Arthur and Ron looked up at the pair holding Green and Red Glaives, in horror. They had just blown through the kitchen door and taken out no less than 5 Death Eaters in seconds. One of them still screaming.

"Interfector," Harbinger said aloud, turning to her, "Get them to St. Mungos, this one used his Dark Mark to summon more of his buddies. We need to be ready." As he turned back around, Interfector was turning their Robes into one way Portkeys to the Wizarding Hospital.

He then walked over to the now whimpering Death Eater and looked in his eyes, seeing the fear and the light in them slowly fading.

Using Legilimency on him he saw Voldemort, re-growing limbs. Many other Death Eaters, various faces, and a Slytherin boy graduating Hogwarts this man was very proud of. "Flint" Harbinger said darkly, with his power laced voice. Horror quickly taking the man's features. "If your son is a Death Eater, you will be seeing him soon." He drove his Glaive through the man's chest, removing it quickly.

' _Ginny, I couldn't get a location off him. I think Voldemort is under the Fidelius. No information on how Voldemort survived the first time either.'_

' _Damn… It would have been good to at least kick the hornets' nest…'_

' _Oh well, today will have to do.'_

Harbinger and Interfector both Shadow Stepped to the roof of the Burrow and awaited the re-enforcements the man had summoned before he died. After about 2 minutes of waiting they were greeted by what sounded like hundreds of pops of Apparition all around them.

.

Once Neville and Hermione had rounded the corner they saw the Death Eaters. There were easily 10 of them, maybe more. They group walked forward confidently, but quietly. It was around 3 steps from the closest man, where he saw the 4 robed and hooded, well-armed figures headed toward him, before there was a blur of steel, and the man knew no more. Neville had decapitated one clear in front of the group before him, then he Shadow Stepped behind them, seemingly vanished, Perenelle joined him.

Spells peppered the group quickly after that. Hermione dodged left and right, throwing stunners at the men who were launching cutting and bludgeoning hexes at her.

Nicholas was beside her, with a shield up before launching more deadly curses, overpowered reductors and cutting charms.

The Death Eaters were getting more fearful as their numbers were thinning, one of the robed figures was cutting, and bludgeoning their fellow Death Eaters, instantly killing them. The Death Eaters, sensing an imminent loss, then started throwing the Unforgivables. _"CRUCIO"_ one cried and Hermione let out a quick scream in pain, before it stopped, a blank look on the man's face, as Neville had approached from behind, having fought his way thought alongside Perenelle and cut the man through the collarbone and down the middle of the chest before his blade got stuck and he kicked the man over. Leaving the sword stuck in the fallen Death Eater, he turned and yelled _"EVISCERATE"_ the three remaining men looked on in Horror as a blue shimmer surrounded him and then they were shredded as though they had just been put through a mincer.

Hermione stood shakily, Neville held his hand out to her and said. "Can I borrow your sword?" She nodded handed it over. "Which ones did you stun?" he asked softly as she pointed out 2 she know she stunned.

He stood over the first who was faced down, Neville kicked him over, hard, then sword tip to the man's throat. " _Ennervate"_ the man woke quickly and Neville flicked his wrist, cutting the man's throat. _"Legilimens"_ Neville then said as he quickly sorted through the man's mind as he died, Hermione watched on in horror as he shook his head and did the same to the second man.

"Neville!" Hermione practically screeched, "That wasn't necessary, they were helpless."

He simply shrugged to the girl, "Maybe so, but they have no problem killing the helpless that are innocent, so why should I have a problem killing the helpless that are guilty."  
Nicholas nodded, a nonplussed look on his face. "Where are they going to go once captured?" he then let out an almost ruthless chuckle, "Can't send them to Azkaban anymore." He turned to Neville. "Find out anything useful?"

"No, just Voldemort, faces and names. I get the feeling they knew where the location of the base was, but it couldn't be divulged... Fidelius?" Neville asked.

"I should think so." Perenelle spoke up, having scoured the dead for anything useful. "Come, we should burn this place and meet with Harbinger and Interfector at the Burrow."

"We really need codenames…" Neville said softly. "I don't like how Hermione practically screeched my name for all to hear just now." Hermione quickly looked shocked, then seemed to wilt under Neville's darkening glare.

"We will talk about that when we get back." Nicholas said, as they Shadow Stepped away from Azkaban prison, not before setting the room they were in ablaze, ensuring all whom had seen them were dead.

.

"So…" Harbinger said aloud from the top of the Burrow. "I think I count roughly 30 of them. Think we can do it?" As the pair looked around from the roof, which no one had seemed to spot them… yet.

"Fuck it… Let's go…" Interfector said, and she Shadow Stepped to one end of the Burrow grounds, Harbinger to the other.

' _Now Harry, I love you!'_

' _Love you too Gin, Always.'_

The pair both set their Aura's off from each end of the Burrow's grounds. Death Eaters spun around at the darkening sky and crackling of lightning dancing across the ground and to the sky. They looked on in fear at each end, as simultaneously the pair changed their Glaives into wands, both pointing them forward towards the Death Eaters. The sky darkened further with their power, the Death Eaters felt anti-apparition and Portkey spells spring into place over the land, they started to panic now. Massive Red and Golden Auras could be seen at either end of the grounds of the Burrow, twisting a twirling in the wind that had kicked up, with the house in the middle, surrounded by Death Eaters. It looked as though a group of ants were trapped between two pillars of fire, with lightning crackling and dancing off of and around them.

The pair's wand tips glowed briefly before they both roared at the same time, _"OBLITERATE!"_

 _._

Neville, Hermione, Nicholas and Perenelle Shadow Stepped to the land adjacent to the Burrow to scope out the area before they entered, not wanting to mess around with Harry and Ginny on the warpath. They were glad, because what they saw shocked them as two massive beams of light were making their way forward, collecting and vaporising numerous Death Eaters from each end of the grounds.

"FUUUUCK!" Neville shouted excitedly over the roar of power, crashing of lightning and wind assaulting his ears. "They're really letting loose!" He looked on like a kid in a candy store.

Nicholas nodded as felt the Order of the Phoenix Apparate in just a stone's throw from them, but if they saw the four of them watching, they paid them no mind.

The massive beams of golden light had finished vaporising Death Eaters and collided with a ground quaking BOOM! That lifted all onlookers off their feet and dumped them back onto the ground. Neville was cackling almost maniacally at the sight and the power Harry and Ginny were letting out, thoroughly enjoying the moment. Nicholas let a smile cross his face, the feeling of pride within him and Perenelle, pride at their creation of the two warriors before them, destroying the Dark Forces of Voldemort. They all looked up to see an enormous golden ball, larger than Hogwarts Castle itself, where the house of the Burrow used to be, which appeared to be eating away at the earth beneath it. The golden beams between the two pillars of fire still feeding it as the ball swelled, taking up more and more of the land, before the beams were extinguished and the ball erupted, taking out a large portion of the surrounding land with it, causing the ground to shudder again.

Harbinger and Interfector appeared next to their four friends who had been watching, as they were yet to extinguish their aura's this did not go unnoticed by Albus Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix who made their way over to the six figures before him. The two with large Red auras extinguished, crackling of sparks subsiding, the sky lightening again, revealing two sets of glowing eyes, one red one green. The others simply had black voids where their faces would be.

"Please lower your hoods so we may speak face to face, I wish to know if you are friend or foe." Albus Dumbledore said to the group.

"No" Said the one with Red balls of light where the eyes should be. Power in the voice causing most of the Order to flinch at it.

"I must insist." Dumbledore said more forcefully, wand now drawn in his hand. Causing the one with Red eyes to laugh.

"You can insist all you want, it doesn't change the fact that we do not take orders from you." The green eyed one who stepped up alongside the red eyed one, obviously female said, power laced in her feminine voice.

Remus spoke up from behind, and to his credit he was quite convincing. "Please, we just wish to know who you are. Are you with or against Voldemort?"

"I am Harbinger, this is Interfector, these are our warrior peers, and I think it obvious we oppose Voldemort having killed over 30 of his men tonight."

Neville put his wand to his throat and spoke in a power laced voice also. "Considering we killed 15 at Azkaban, and these two killed almost a score of the pathetic bastards here, you should be thanking us for saving your followers, not attempting to interrogate us you old fool." He then Shadow Stepped away. The rest, not wanting to be interrogated any further and holding no modicum of respect for Dumbledore, left immediately after.

"Well Albus," Minerva McGonagall spoke up. "It seems you have a way with people, a war has just began and you are already out, making new enemies of allies. Powerful ones too." She said as she apparated to Potter Manor. Remus and Sirius left also, leaving Dumbledore with Kingsley and a handful of other Aurors and Order Members.

Albus looked down at the devastated land below, Molly Weasley would not be happy. The land, and the Burrow were completely destroyed. There was nothing left to recover, nothing but a crater like Malfoy Manor. This must have been the group to destroy that estate too. He had been sent word from Ronald that they were fine and had been transported by means of Portkey to St. Mungos not long after the attack started by the very same people who had destroyed the Burrow.

"Harbinger and Interfector." He mused aloud, "I must find out who these powerful people are and get them to join the Order and accept my command. They are far too powerful to be allowed to fight without direction, they could indeed be useful, a well-rounded tool. Just like Harry will be when I get him back under my control."

* * *

The group arrived as one, with the exception of Neville who left before them, back at Flamel Island. Minerva McGonagall had floo'd them as soon as she arrived at Potter Manor and had then made her way over with Sirius and Remus in tow.

Remus spoke first, "Harry, Ginny, I must say that was…"  
"Bloody incredible" Sirius finished for him.

"Yes…" Remus said, "But was it entirely necessary?"

"You two don't even look bloody tired!" Sirius all but shouted over the top of him.

"Yeah… I think it was necessary." Harry said non-committal.

"Couldn't you have just, left?" McGonagall asked gently, seemingly worried at the ease of which they had killed people.

"Well of course they could have." Neville spoke up laughing, "But who would have taught the Death Eaters that they will be killed if they attack innocent people." Then he adopted a serious tone. "And Hermione! What were you thinking? You can't stun a Death Eater! You'll come off as weak!"

"You don't need to kill!" Hermione stood, hands shaking in anger and shock. "It isn't always the answer!"

"Spoken like someone who never lost anyone in the first war to those sick FUCKS!" Neville shouted, now in a towering rage, his aura now pulsing blue around him. "Tell me Hermione, were your parents driven insane by the Cruciatus curse? Were your parents killed while they tried to protect you from Voldemort? Do you have anything that is truly pushing you forward like Harry, Ginny and I do?"

"What do you mean Ginny?" Hermione asked angrily, "She hasn't seen anything of the first war…"

Harry flinched, knowing exactly what Neville was talking about, but Ginny stood angrily and put his thoughts into words. "So my uncles didn't die during the first war? I wasn't possessed by a piece of the Dark Bastards soul which tried to make me kill all the Muggleborns in the school? I didn't have to get saved by my soul-mate because some old prick decided I needed to die? The same meddling old prick who kept him away from me with an unforgivable curse, the same that practically started the last two Wizarding wars to control people and further his own greatness!" Ginny was furious, sparks arcing off her lightly as she was attempting to control her anger. "I think I have even more to fight for because not only have I personally been affected, I have my husband, who I want to live through this war too! The very same who it seems the dark prick keeps coming after for no good reason! Or do you not remember that if he dies I die too?" She finished, red in the face with sparks crackling off her, but still controlling herself. She sat back next to Harry who pulled her in close as a tear escaped her, he just thought soothing thoughts, sending his love for her through the bond, while Hermione stood there admonished with her mouth agape.

"Actually on that Voldemort coming after Harry part. We think we have something on that you guys" Remus said, drawing the attention away from a severely rebuked Hermione. "Dumbledore has us guarding on rotation at the Ministry, something he only tells us is the key to defeating Voldemort that must be kept from him, something he didn't have last time. But Dumbledore is keeping it so close to the chest that I don't even think he keeps the memory of what it is, in his head."

The group nodded, not knowing what to make of this, but also not wanting to fuel the fire that Hermione had started.

' _Doesn't keep it in his head? What does he mean by that?'_ Harry thought.

' _He wrote it down? Hardly secure. It can easily be stolen, he would want to keep it in his office.'_

' _Yeah, but his office is warded, inside Hogwarts, not much can penetrate it. From the dark side anyway.'_

' _We can think on this later anyway love.'_

' _We should watch over the memory of the other group's fight of Azkaban in the Pensieve…'_

' _I wonder if it's as bad as Neville said, if so Hermione is a bit of a risk...'_

' _Dumbledore… Pensieve… Not keeping it in his head?'_

' _Yes!'_ Ginny practically shouted in his head.

The rest of the group just sat there in companionable silence for a long time before Harry stood abruptly. "Of course!" he shouted before he vanished.

"How do you ever get used to that..." Sirius said softly, causing others to chuckle.

"It's easy when we can all do it too." Hermione said with a smile.

Harry re-appeared a moment later with a Pensieve that McGonagall recognised as Dumbledore's.

"You'd best be quick before he notices it missing Harry." She said to the boy who nodded and dove in, he re-emerged a moment later, stony faced.

"Oh he's been hiding something all right." Harry said as he put the Pensieve on projection mode and showed the others what he had just witnessed. Professor Trelawney the Divination Professor was sitting there casually before Dumbledore before she went rigid.

 **' _The ones with the power to slay the Dark One draw near.'_**

 **' _The First, born as the seventh month dies, to those who thrice defied him, he shall mark him as his true adversary.'_**

 **' _The Second, born 7 after, loved by the First belonging only to him, 7_ _th_ _born, first in 7, marked by the Dark One, akin to the First. She will be bound to him and will be his only equal.'_**

 **' _If the Meddler succeeds all will be lost destruction like none have seen. If the Mentors hone them, life can persevere, for only they have the power that the Dark One can never obtain.'_**

"Well…" said McGonagall, "He has been sitting on some very serious secrets indeed."

Ginny sat there a moment before she pointed at Harry. "The First," then herself, "The Second" then to the Flamels "the Mentors… and we all know who the Dark One and the Meddler are. Although I think for some reason he sees me as the Meddler even though I think only I can be the Second. Born 7 after him, 7th born, first girl in 7 generations, loved by him and bound to him." She gestured to Harry before she whispered, "Marked akin to the first..."

"I find myself agreeing with your logic completely." Hermione said softly as though thinking. "The power the Dark One can never obtain? I don't get that."

"Well… that could be anything…" Remus said. "Take what they did today thought, their power is incredible."

"I'll say," McGonagall said looking at the pair quickly before looking back at the Pensieve. "If you will excuse me, I think I should take this back to the Headmasters Office, he may be missing it if he is back and will no doubt be in a tizzy. As this is the Faculty Pensieve, I have every right to use it, so I will return it under that guise if he is present. Take care you lot." She said as she left the island with a rush of flames through the floo.

Some time passed as the group was chattering away.

"So, what happened today guys?" Harry said. Neville, clearly agitated, turning to face Hermione. Still obviously annoyed that she wasn't willing to kill the Death Eaters.

"I don't know what to say Neville. I don't think I can bring myself to kill them…" Hermione said softly, looking to the floor.

"I don't even want to bring it up, but after Hermione screeched out my name…" He glared at her, "It's obvious we need codenames like Harbinger and Interfector." Harry rounded on Hermione now who was looking more and more depressed.

"So you sent stunners only, which they can remedy easily with an Ennervate, not actually dropping their numbers at all, and not teaching the rest a lesson for becoming Death Eaters. Then you yell out Neville's name in an unknown combat situation?"

Hermione looked up, angry and upset at the same time. "Harry… he was ruthless, he slit their throats and used Legilimency at the same time..."

"So?" Ginny cut in "he was gathering Intel, Harry did the same thing to a Death Eater he had already cut in half. If you are lenient to things like Death Eaters, then they will use that leniency against you. Just like Snape did when he killed Cedric, and Wormtail did when he resurrected Voldemort with Snape."

Harry nodded, Ginny and he had numerous discussions over how every time a Death Eater escaped from them, the effect compounded into something far worse. They vowed to each other to do their utmost to prevent the same thing from happening again.

"Things? They're still people… Besides, these were low level Death Eaters. They couldn't or wouldn't have really done anything if we left them alive." Hermione looked around with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Then what's the point?" Nicholas spoke up. "Why fight? If you were just going to stun them, they couldn't be captured or detained, you may as well just let them go about their business, and Voldemort will take over and win with that attitude."

"As soon as they take the Dark Mark or side with Junkless they're not people to me… and tell any of that to Grace and the others…" Neville said darkly at the thought of Death Eaters attacking his girlfriend, Hermione looking shocked at his outburst. "No, seriously, tell them what you just told us… With everything that happened to them alone, makes me kill every Death Eater I come across, let alone what they did to mine and Harry's Parents, and what the diary did to Ginny."

Harry just nodded as the group looked at Hermione expectantly. Remus and Sirius adorning thoughtful looks as they watched the situation.

"I'm not going to force you to kill anyone, Hermione," Harry said gently. "I just don't know if you can come with us on missions, you may become more of a liability." Nicholas nodded as tears were now falling from the girls face as she stood and left for her room... She had a lot to think about, she was not directly damaged by the previous war being a Muggleborn, and she did not have the same Dark Side that the rest seemed to have.

* * *

As June rolled into July and the group finished up their training for the summer, they were all sitting around a campfire on the beach one evening. Their arguments about the battles at Azkaban long forgotten, yet they were still to come up with an alter-ego for each of the others to protect their identities.

Grace had come over to join Neville and George came to visit Hermione. Neville and Grace were an item, and had been for a while now, however George and Hermione were as far as anyone knew, simply good friends.

They were all talking animatedly until the living situation of the Weasleys came up. After Harry and Ginny had destroyed the Burrow, the Weasleys had moved into Order Headquarters, which Harry knew to be #12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius had offered it up for the Order to use as a show of solidarity, and considering he was living at Potter Manor with Amelia and Remus, he really had no use for it anyway.

' _Gin, I feel like we should give the twins a place to live. I mean we did blow up their home.'_

' _I know, but I don't want to do anything like that for Molly, Dad or Ron.'_

"George, Ginny and I would like to buy you and Fred a place to live." Harry spoke up.

"No need mate, it was actually a blessing. Fred and I will be able to move into the flat above the store we just bought in Diagon Alley thanks to you anyway. We were trying to figure out how to move out when we get a Patronus saying the Mysterious Interfector and Harbinger have destroyed our home saving Mum, Dad and Ron." George chuckled. "They seem comfortable enough at Headquarters for now anyway."

"Harry? Ginny?" Perenelle called from the house. "You guys might want to come see this!"

The group all stood and walked to the house, Harry was almost worried at what could have come. When they entered from the deck overlooking the beach they were greeted by the chuckling of Nicholas who was reading a special evening edition of The Prophet.

"Looks like we made the paper guys." Nicholas said cheerfully as he tossed the paper to Harry, he saw the headline as he heard Nicholas chuckling, "Wanton destruction indeed."

 _ **Harbinger and Interfector, Vigilantes, Vandals, Murderers.**_

 _It seems that the Vigilantes from the Quidditch World Cup are at it again, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently revealed to be known as Harbinger (male) and Interfector (female) these two have recently been sighted at the scene of a Mass Murder. The Burrow, Home of Arthur Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, also charged with possession a flying car, has been destroyed. The home of the father of 7 has been replaced by no less than an odd shaped crater._

 _Witnesses of the event, whom wish to remain anonymous, informed that these 2 were aggressive, as were their unknown companions, and flouted authority, as they did at the Quidditch World Cup. All of the 6 (Pictured Below) are wanted for Murder and Wanton Destruction of Property. The Ministry advises that if you see any of these people on the street, that you immediately contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and do not engage them._

 _None of the Weasleys could be reached for Comment, Mrs. Potter, formerly Weasley (15) could not be located for comment._

Below this article, Harry briefly glanced over an article depicting Dumbledore as insane, rambling about the return of Voldemort.

Neville spoke what everyone was thinking once Harry had finished both articles aloud. "Well it looks like you made the right call not standing by Dumbles, while he called out Voldemort to the world." The others nodded.

Hermione clicked her tongue and spoke up, "That picture, it's from the Order of the Phoenix… One of them must have submitted a memory to the Prophet and the DMLE."

"I recognised a few Aurors, and Moody has recovered too…" Harry mused aloud, "No doubt the Meddler put whoever up to it. Not that I care. So… What do we call you guys? Have you decided?"

"I've done a little research, I like Sicarius." Neville said.

"Prudentia" Hermione said simply. The others nodded, and looked to Nicholas.

"We already have names attached to ours." He said with a smirk, to Harry and Ginny's surprise. Decades of training and this never came up. "Spectre" He pointed to himself, "Wraith" he pointed to Perenelle. "In the years past, Harbinger and Interfector were always more prominent and we were like ghosts, there one moment, gone the next. So the names are fitting. As for Hermione and Neville well chosen. Sicarius, like Interfector translates loosely to Assassin, Hermione's is more knowledge bound, which is also very fitting."

"Harbinger, Interfector, Spectre, Wraith, Sicarius and Prudentia." Harry said rubbing his chin as he smiled. "We will make sure the Death Eaters and Junkless all fear the name." Ginny gave him a wicked grin and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

One hot morning, the week after their training had ended, the now well rested group of four bade farewell to Nicholas and Perenelle. Harry and Ginny went to Potter Island, Hermione went home to her Parents, and Neville went to Potter Manor to visit his Girlfriend and the others. Harry and Ginny would be joining them for dinner, however they just wanted a couple of hours to themselves to relax and be by themselves.

They had spent around 2 years this time, in and out of the training room over the month of June with the others, and were determined to finally enjoy their newfound time alone.

As they arrived at Potter Island, they quickly scouted the place, making sure they were alone. Once they were both certain Ginny leapt at Harry, who caught her as she wound her legs around him, kissing him passionately. Pent up tension from months since they had last found a few moments together taking them over, as they both grappled desperately at each other's clothing, Ginny giggling when Harry's head got stuck in his robes. Once he was unstuck he quickly found himself under the attack of Ginny's lips again as he carried her to the Bedroom. They didn't emerge until dinnertime, they walked out to an island practically dripping in Magic, and they laughed as they looked outside onto a powerful thunderstorm that was now subsiding.

"Huh…" Harry said, "Do you think we create storms when we are particularly pent up? We don't cause storms every time. Otherwise here and Hogwarts last year would have been surrounded in a storm almost every day." Ginny dissolved into fits of laughter at the end of Harry's musing. Harry just smiled at her, "You think that's funny? Watch this…" he said as he Shadow Stepped over behind her and began tickling her mercilessly.

"Argh" Was all she could get out for a moment as Harry pinned her down and kept tickling her. "Harry… No… Please… Stop…" He smiled and relented, still straddling her, he leant down and kissed her softly.

"C'mon Gin, we should be at Potter Manor already, stop messing around" He said in jest, she simply arched an eyebrow at him, then summoned her Magic and bucked him off, launching him over to the other side of the room. She fell into another fit of laughter as he flew headlong into a couch. He stood and smiled at her as he found his robes and pulled them over, knowing that he deserved that for the smart ass remark. Once dressed the pair Shadow Stepped to Potter Manor to dine with the others.

Dinner was an enjoyable affair, the group chatted, and enjoyed themselves with Sirius telling the Girls, after seeking permission from Harry about their latest escapade, destroying yet another large patch of land and numerous Death Eaters.

The only absence from the Group was Hermione, who would be enjoying France by now with her parents. Grace had asked Neville if she could accompany him to Diagon Alley when they went for their school supplies. Wanting to see more of his world, to which he agreed with a chaste kiss.

' _Those two are perfect for each other.'_ Ginny thought to Harry who looked over from his conversation, watching his friend briefly.

' _You're right Gin.'_ Harry thought to her as he wound his free arm around her waist, he looked at Grace and Neville. Grace was an attractive girl, not as much as Ginny, but definitely striking. She was slim, about an inch taller than Ginny and had wavy dark brown hair. Her skin was pale, and her eyes a deep blue, eyes which she had only for Neville, she was clearly deeply in love with him. _'I think she grounds him, gives him something to fight for. Someone to come back to and live for.'_

' _Surprisingly well thought out love…'_

' _Yes… Well occasionally I can tap into a smidgeon of intellect,'_ Harry then flashed a wicked grin at her as he spooned more potatoes into his mouth.

"Harry," Sirius yelled across the table. "Did you see the Prophet? Harbinger and Interfector are more well-known than Voldemort!" he laughed loudly.

"Have you met Sicarius?" He said as he pointed to Neville with a smirk. "He is part of the reason why Azkaban is no more."

"We reckon Dumbledore is silently shitting himself over what you guys did to the Weasley's place." Sirius said, Remus nodding in agreement. "He's been rattling on at Order meetings about the identity of the group, making them join the Order and getting you under his control again. We doubt he's done meddling yet."

Harry just nodded glumly, he was hoping the old bastard was done trying to interfere with his life. Then he shrugged, "I think I'm done giving him chances…" Harry said darkly, drawing looks from around the table to him. "If he makes one obvious move to any of us, he's gone."

"I wouldn't say that to anyone outside of this house." Remus said softly. "Death threats are being taken very seriously at the moment… Funnily enough because of your appearance in the paper, although Dumbledore may be portrayed as an old crackpot at present, there are still far too many people who believe him to be the true leader of the Wizarding World to simply make him disappear."

"What would you suggest then?" Harry asked, Ginny grasping his hand gently under the table, feeling his frustration.

"You would need it to look like an accident or frame it on someone, like a well-known Death Eater." Neville said shocking many around the table. "Someone like Snape who is still a wanted man. But you would have to nail it perfectly, catch everyone off guard by it… Or you could do it as Harbinger and just make sure you are never linked to him." Neville laughed, but Harry could tell there was an ounce of seriousness to it.

"We need to be very VERY! Careful about that Nev." Harry said, "They're already wanted, we cannot get linked to them, if we did we would be in hiding, and hunted actively by Death Eaters and Aurors alike."

Neville just nodded then cuddled into Grace, not wanting to draw attention to her, he looked as though he was resigned to fighting from the shadows as Sicarius for now.

* * *

Harry awoke early to the sunlight on Ginny's Birthday. His Birthday had come and passed uneventfully, he told the others he would prefer not celebrate it. They had another Dinner at Potter Manor where a few more guests came.

Ginny however, Harry had planned for. It was to be a surprise Birthday Dinner at Potter Island. As Harry made his way out to the Kitchen he stopped, smiling at the portrait of his parents. He had purchased the additional frame as they had requested so they could visit the Island, spending time with both their son and daughter-in-law and their friends.

Ginny awoke to an empty bed, the smell of breakfast cooking and Harry singing in the kitchen as he was doing so. She felt through the bond he was deliriously happy making her almost giddy with excitement. She put on one of Harry's shirts and made her way out to the kitchen, she froze in the doorway. She always loved seeing Harry half naked, however he had almost fully grown now, he had the body of a well-toned athlete, but the scars definitely made him look like a warrior. He was singing, cooking and throwing in a twist here and there, as he saw Ginny come in, he smirked, walked over and grabbed her, spun her around, sinking Ginny into a dip then kissing her soundly causing her to go light headed.

"Wow…" She whispered, "You certainly know how to treat a girl."

"Happy birthday love." He responded with a cheeky smirk. Ginny simply kissed him with a broad smile. "Breakfast is ready for you darling." Ginny was bubbly now, feeding off Harry's high, and happy because he was happy serving her for her special day. Harry lifted the cloth he had laying across the food, revealing chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries and ice cream, and bacon and egg rolls. To Harry's surprise Ginny took some of each and tucked in with a rather large smile in his direction. "Do you have anything in particular you would like to do today, Gin?" Harry asked, mouth full she simply looked up and shook her head, Harry chuckled at her. "Very well, we will go with what I have planned then." He said with a large smile in return.

After they had finished the breakfast Harry had prepared, and dressed for the day the pair left and spent the day in Muggle London. Just enjoying their time together they saw a movie, ate lunch and spent some of the day shopping, then went for a long walk in the park, arms around each other, obvious to any that they were deeply in love.

Harry and Ginny appeared in Potter Manor where they had a lovely outdoor dinner with the Muggle Girls, The Flamels, Sirius and Amelia, Remus, Minerva, Hermione, Neville and the Twins. She received various Defensive books from Hermione and Neville, as well as joke products from the twins, a broom servicing kit, and some chaser's gloves from Sirius and Amelia. Remus had copied the book he had mentioned about Merlin's Magic, for which she thanked him profusely. Minerva had given a shared gift between herself and Harry of a book on the Animagus transformation and the potions to find out if they were capable of becoming Animagii. The Flamels gave both her and Harry another shared gift, an ancient book of wards hand written by Godric Gryffindor. The present Harry had gotten her thought brought a tear to her eye, it was a photo album made from his memories, depicting moments they had shared together. As she flicked through it she saw images of her and him kissing in the Chamber of Secrets, Auras surrounding them. The pair of them holding each other close in on the boat in Australia for Valentine's Day, and other private memories. She clutched the book to her chest and worked on regaining her composure before she flashed him a tear filled smile and kissed him deeply.

They spent the rest of the evening sitting closely as they enjoyed cake and chatter with the others, it was moments like these that made them forget what had brought them here and that there was in fact a war beginning in the name of Voldemort.

A/N. I have some surprises in store for this series. I have managed to get the editing for the conversion from word document to here, reasonably intact. It is still taking some time to get it up to a readable level.

If you enjoyed it or have some constructive criticism let me know in the reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This chapter is rather short, it is more of a filler. Some character development though. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 2. The Half-Blood.**

Harry and Ginny were strolling hand in hand through Diagon Alley alongside Neville and Grace. Grace was fascinated by Diagon Alley and all it had to offer. Hermione had wanted to come, however she decided she should be spending the time with her parents. They had all received their Hogwarts Letters earlier that day, and needing to get books they were spending the day together, taking the time off their training to relax.

Harry always found it hard to relax, now that the Death Eaters were active, he was constantly analysing, observing and looking for something wrong. He had already spotted several people he thought were acting shady. However Legilimency on them showed nothing. Ginny was attempting to relax him.

"Harry, people are going to act shady if you are staring at them, with glowing angry eyes no less." She squeezed his hand and watched him. He seemed to let some of his tension go, but not enough for her. "Here." She said in finality as she spun him around and kissed him hard. He kissed her back, most of his tension gone in an instant.

"As good a therapy as that seems to be for Harry," Grace spoke with a soft laugh, as Harry and Ginny broke apart with a blush. "Neville said he would like to get a backup wand."

"That's actually a good idea Nev," Harry said, drawing the attention away from the kiss. Blushes receding, the group made their way to Ollivander's Wand Shop. The group walked in the door, bell tinkling as the old man Harry thought of as creepy, made his way forth from the back room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mr. Longbottom" The old man they knew to be Ollivander said, "It is good to see you again, and it seems you have found a straggler." He said, curious gazes now on the man. "It is good to finally meet you Miss Clarke, although you are a bit late." He chuckled.

Grace looked at him quizzically. "How do you know my name? And what do you mean I'm late?"

"Miss Clarke, surely you must know you are a Witch, you are a Half-blood." Ollivander said gently, as Grace shook her head. "Your parents were killed in the First War… Your mother was a Witch, your father a Muggleborn… Oh My," Ollivander said as tears were rolling down Grace's face. Neville held her closely as Harry and Ginny watched on, mouths agape.

"I never knew who my parents were," Grace said thickly. "I have been in and out of foster homes since I was a baby."

"I see, that would explain why you never received your first Hogwarts letter my dear." Ollivander explained. "Unfortunately it is almost common for this to happen to Orphaned Muggleborn children, much less common for children from wizarding families. Tell me my dear, would you like a wand today?" Grace nodded, and Ollivander sprung into action with a smile on his face.

"Am I going to be able to go to Hogwarts with you guys?" Grace asked hopefully.

"Yes, we'll talk to Professor McGonagall about getting you in, she should be able to make it happen." Ginny said with a smile.

"Neville, you should train her so she can be in our year…" Harry said with a smirk, Neville looked at him as though he had been clubbed in the head. "Otherwise she will have to start in first year, it might be a touch… odd her having to learn with 11 year olds."

"Yeah… Yes, I'll train you Grace." Neville said softly, still in shock. "Thanks Harry."

Ollivander came sauntering back to the counter with 3 boxes in his hands. "Miss Clarke, there are 3 possibilities I see for you. The first, Ash, 11 inches, Dragon Heartstring and very flexible, a similar makeup to your mothers. Here try it." He said passing Grace the wand, who held it and waved it around. Nothing happened. "The second is chestnut, 12 ¼ inches, Unicorn Hair, pliable, like your father's he was a Muggleborn, please try it…" Again she took the wand, swished it. A small amount of sparks shot out the end, setting fire to the counter.

"Oh wow!" Grace cheered, "Look what I did!" She was jumping up and down excitedly when Ollivander snatched the wand from her. "Hey!"

"No… No that will not do Miss Clarke, the Witch must control the wand, not the other way, and it did not choose you, it simply reacted..." Ollivander said as he drew the third from its box. He held it out gingerly. As Grace was reaching for the wand, Neville felt his wand holster heating up rapidly, he drew it and it immediately shot a small golden light, which split into two, one knocking the wand from Ollivander's hand, the other summoning a wand from the shelves at the back of the store. The summoned wand hovered in front of Grace for a moment. Harry looked at Neville with an eyebrow raised, Neville just shrugged his shoulders in return and a slight tilt of his head Harry recognised to mean that he would explain later. Grace looked at Neville wide eyed and he nodded to her, she grabbed the wand out of mid-air and her entire body was saturated in a blue aura. Not the same deep blue as Neville's but a pale baby blue. "Very curious…" Ollivander said. "That wand is made from the hair of the same Unicorn that gave for Mr. Longbottom's wand. This one is 9 inches, Alder, and Unyielding. This will be a powerful match for you… and once she has learned some magic, for you too Mr. Longbottom." He gestured to Neville who smirked at Grace. Grace paid the 13 Galleons required for the wand and the group left, now with the task of getting Grace's School supplies too.

Harry and Ginny had insisted on setting Neville and Grace up with a supply backpack like the one they had. They were certain that the war would be escalating before they knew it and wanted to be as prepared as they could be.  
Knowing they would be safe for quite some time at Potter Island, they filled Neville's pack with foods with everlasting charms on them to keep them fresh, casual clothing, a tent and other useful items that they may need if they were caught out and needed to survive for an extended period of time hidden away.

* * *

Later that day, after they had finished collecting their supplies at Diagon Alley the group Shadow Stepped to Potter Manor. An excited Grace wanted to tell the girls all about her shopping experience and how wonderful being a witch was looking to be for her.

Meanwhile Harry and Ginny had Floo'd Professor McGonagall, asking if she could visit briefly to discuss something in private. She came over immediately.

"Good Afternoon Minerva," Harry said, "Tea?"

"Please." She said as Harry conjured a tea-set and served her. "Albus hasn't called another Order meeting, although he is quite worried that he has no leads on the identity of Harbinger, Interfector or any of the others." The Professor smiled with this, causing Harry to smile back, thinking that it was a rare sight to see the woman smile so easily.

"We actually asked your company over something entirely different." Ginny began. "You see… Grace is a Witch…" The stern Professor who had just taken a sip of tea gulped loudly. "We took her to Ollivander's today and he told us she was a Half Blood, Grace Clarke. Her parents died in the war, and because she was bounced from muggle Foster home to home, she became untraceable."

"I see…" Minerva said softly. "She will need to attend Hogwarts then…"

"Yes." Harry said bluntly, "but I will not have her starting with the first years, we were hoping she could be sorted privately and we could train her to the point she would be ready to take her O.W.L.s this year."

Minerva just nodded, tight lipped, then it broadened into a grin. "Yes, I think that to be the best way Mr. Potter, and certainly think you 4 will be up to the task of training her." She said, "May I speak with her?" Harry nodded and disappeared to get Grace, they all re-appeared rather quickly in front of Minerva causing her to jump slightly. "My… you lot will cause me to expire." She said with a chuckle. "Miss Clarke, I believe we can admit you to Hogwarts as a fifth year with your peers. I shall use everything in my power to make this happen." Grace and the others nodded as she continued. "It will be entirely up to you to prepare yourself. Make yourself as ready as possible, I have no doubt these 3 and Miss Granger will be able to get you up to speed. I would encourage the use of the Flamels time room if he will permit it." She said with a smirk, causing Neville and Grace to look shocked, they were unaware she knew so much about their training. Harry just nodded to them, remembering when she had visited the day after he and Ginny had bonded, causing them to relax. "I shall set the wheels in motion, Miss Clarke, please be ready for my owl, I shall keep you all informed."

"We have already purchased her a wand and school supplies Professor." Neville said. "We were anticipating that she could attend."

"Very good Mr. Longbottom, I am certain nothing shall get in her way, is there anything else?" The group before her shook their heads, "Very well, I must get a move along, and there are only 3 weeks now to have everything ready for you. Good luck with your training Miss Clarke." McGonagall smirked and left the group who were rather happy that one of their friends would be able to start with them in the new term.

"I'll be back guys." Neville said as he vanished from the room.

"Where do you think he went?" Grace said worriedly.

"The Flamels." Ginny said, "Don't worry Grace, I think he's more excited than you that you will be attending Hogwarts this year." Ginny smiled.

Neville returned rather quickly with Nicholas in tow. "Is it true?" Nicholas said disbelievingly.

"Well hello to you too Nick," Harry said in jest. "My, it is good to see you…"

Nicholas chuckled, "Hello Harry, you sarcastic shit." The group laughed as Harry huffed in mock anger. "Grace, you are really a Witch?" She nodded, "Fantastic! Good thing you have Minerva on your side to get her into the school. My dear, if you would like, Perenelle and I shall take Neville and yourself into the Time-Room and we 3 shall train you up. You will not know yourself by the time you're done," he said with a wink.

Grace nodded enthusiastically as Neville took her hand with a smirk, "Wait Neville." Harry said urgently. "Before you go, how did you know to summon Grace's new wand to you?"

"Oh that!" Neville exclaimed. "My wand got hot in the Holster when she was going to grab that other wand, so I drew it, I didn't cast a single spell." He said with the shock returning to his face from before.

"Intriguing." Nicholas said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Neville do you love this girl?" Neville nodded, as Grace tucked into his side. "Well I would say your wand was protecting her from harm. It then summoned the wand it believed would be ideal for her. There is an entire study on wand-lore, they are almost believed to be sentient. My knowledge on the subject is minimal, even with my age, I never took the time to study the lore. I was more interested in spells and power behind them, creating new ones and auras." He said with a smile. "Well, are you two ready to go then?"

"Just a moment." Grace said as she quickly said goodbye to Sarah, Cassandra, Jessica and Emily.

"Nicholas..." Harry asked, a thought now occurring to him. "How come Hermione, Neville and the twins never got expelled from Hogwarts for performing magic outside of school... Ginny and I are of majority so..."

Nicholas raised a hand to stop him. "There is a simple explanation Harry... I removed the trace from their wands." Harry and Ginny just laughed.

"I don't think any of us thought twice about it, because Harry and I had no issue with it." Ginny said thoughtfully.

At that moment Grace had returned, and with a quick goodbye to Harry and Ginny, they were gone. Harry and Ginny took their evening to dine with Remus, Sirius, Amelia and the girls, explaining to some very excited adults everything that they had experienced that day in the wand shop.

* * *

Harry and Ginny had gone to visit Hermione and her parents earlier in the week. Hermione was indeed bored there, having not much in common with her parents anymore, and had joined them at Potter Manor for the week. Harry was in the library collecting book one morning when Hermione and Ginny had entered after having breakfast.

"What's got you up here Harry?" Hermione asked, "Even with you being more of an academic, it is still quite the challenge to get you into a library."

Harry turned and stuck his tongue out to Hermione and a snickering Ginny. "If you must know, I am here to study immortality rituals."

"Voldemort." Hermione whispered, as she immediately started scouring the shelves for books that may contain something relatable to their topic. "I can't believe I forgot about that. I was going to start studying earlier in the summer."

The Potter library was large. Not as long as the one in Hogwarts, but it was two stories high and circular, challenging the number of books in the school's library. There was a large desk in the middle, large enough for 10 to study at comfortably.

It was a few hours later that Hermione sat back in her chair rubbing her eyes. "You know I think it is a good thing that Grace is a Witch." This topic immediately caught Harry and Ginny off guard who simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, I'm still not inclined to kill in the slightest, and with her in training, she can eventually join you guys on missions and you won't be down in numbers. I think it's a blessing in disguise, while you are out slaughtering the bad guys I can remain in the library researching how to make you more effective in battle, also find a way to help Voldemort with his Immortality problem. I have decided I have no issues with you killing the Death Eaters, Your reasoning is sound, and you aren't just being bloodthirsty. I just cannot do it myself!" She squeaked a little at the end.

"It's okay Hermione." Harry said gently, putting an arm around her back as Ginny looked on from his other side. "As I said before, I won't make you kill, and I stick by that. If you want to commit to research, you are easily the best person for the job. I have told you that you are a sister to me, and I mean it. I will protect you like family, you don't need to be put into danger needlessly, and you don't have to kill if you don't have the drive to like us." Harry smiled to her.

"Thank you Harry," She said with a tear in her eye. "It's good to know I can still count on you."

"You can count on all of us Hermione," Ginny said softly, "If you weren't my best friend, you would be my sister-in-law anyway. So like Harry said, I will protect you like family." The group hugged briefly before returning to their studies.

* * *

A week and a half before the group were due to return to Hogwarts, an acceptance letter arrived at Potter Manor for grace, signed by Albus Dumbledore and co-signed by Minerva. The next day Grace and Neville returned to Potter Manor, Grace looking confident, Neville looking happy, he gestured to Harry to follow him. Ginny kept Grace busy handing her the Hogwarts acceptance letter that had arrived for her, eliciting a squeak and a girl group hug.

Harry and Neville entered the back yard and sat under the porch. "What's up Neville?"

"Harry… Grace and I want to elope." Neville said with a smile. "She is the best thing that has happened to me, she is everything to me, and I just spent a year alone with her, fighting for what felt like our lives. I can't imagine a world without her. I suppose I am asking… will you be my best man? You and Ginny saved her from a terrible fate, and I have you two to thank for involving me in your training… What I am trying to say, mate, you are my best friend and…"

Harry put a hand on Neville's shoulder cutting his nervous speech short. "Neville… I am honoured you even considered me."

' _That was very lovely of him…'_ Ginny said to him through the bond. _'Grace just asked me to stand with her as the maid of honor.'_  
 _'That's wonderful Gin.'_ Harry thought with a smile.

"Now I just have to talk to my Gran." Neville said, "We don't think Remus and Amelia would have a problem with letting Grace and I get married."

"Nah, they'll love the idea." Harry smiled.

* * *

That evening dinner was a crowded affair, Minerva McGonagall and Augusta Longbottom had joined the usual group in addition to Nicholas and Perenelle whom Neville had also invited over for dinner, mainly for their support in case of any resistance, and to explain that they had indeed spent a lot of time together alone.

Neville coughed to get everyone's attention as he stood. "Excuse me everyone," he said as Grace stood alongside him. "I would like to announce that Grace and I… Well we are engaged." Neville said as he then ploughed on. "We are having this dinner tonight because we would like to be married, before we return to Hogwarts. The two of us have discussed it and we would like to elope. We know we can because Betrothal Marriages allow for weddings at the age of 14. So we are simply asking for your permission." Neville said confidently.

"Neville." Remus stood, "I couldn't find anyone, more suited to young Gracie if I tried, and what with how powerful you have become, not many people could do better in protecting her either." He said with a wink.

"I am in agreement." Amelia said, "As the other of Grace's Guardians, I give my consent."

"With all you have both been through, you deserve the happiness of each other, and with what I have learned from Mr. and Mrs. Potter, age is no matter when it comes to the passions of the heart." Minerva said as she raised her glass and drank from it, causing smiles around the table at the touching sentiment of the stern Witch.

The group then looked at a very shocked, but also proud looking Augusta Longbottom. "My young Neville, these people speak so highly of you and you have become so confident over the past years, they also speak of you as though you have depths of power unknown to me. If I can see how powerful you are… No… I give you my permission Neville. May I see how strong you really are though?"

"Do you know Occlumency?" Harry asked from the other end of the table.

"Yes my boy, shields Albus himself cannot breach. The fool has tried before so I took him on head on. Gave the bastard a headache." She laughed in her gravelly voice.

Harry nodded to her with a smile. "I still want a wizard's vow though. We can never be too careful." Nicholas smirked at Harry, proud of his caution. Augusta simply nodded and performed the vow before all of them, as did Amelia, as she knew the group were powerful, but knew no specifics of the true extent of their powers.

"What are you going to show them first Harry?" Neville asked

"That's entirely up to you Nev." Harry said with a smirk.

Neville spoke to Grace quietly for a moment, Sirius had returned with the Pensieve, having left to retrieve it. "Harry," Neville spoke cautiously, "I think we would like to show her how we came to meet, and then I will show her Azkaban and the Burrow if that's ok with you?" Harry nodded and dropped the memories into the Pensieve.

It was a few minutes before the pair came back out quietly, Augusta and Amelia both had tears in their eyes after the first memory, which were quickly dried by the second and third.

"Neville." Augusta said, "Your father would be so very proud of you. Harry, Ginny, I am sure the Potters are watching on simply bursting with pride."

"Oh we are," Lily said from the portrait with a large smile, "But I think there is one more memory you should show her Harry." Harry and Ginny looked up with a questioning glance, "I am sure she is trustworthy, and it can't hurt to have someone from the Wizengamot knowing exactly what it happening out there right now."

"Dumbledore isn't lying is he?" Augusta said quickly. Harry shook his head and removed another memory, he then set the memory to project, showing the end of the last task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the Death of Cedric, and the rise and cutting down of Voldemort. Augusta let forth a little chuckle when she saw Harry snap Voldemort's wand and leave. "My my," She said. "We are certainly headed for a bumpy road ahead, but I know you can defeat him and destroy him once and for all, you are all incredible. Neville, you most certainly have my permission, we will go to the Ministry in the morning as a group if everyone is agreeable."

There were murmured yesses from around the table, Augusta then nodded, stood and bade farewell to Neville and went home for the evening. She was now dedicated to helping her Grandson, his new bride the Potters, and anyone else in that group in any way she could.

* * *

Harry was standing beside Neville, Ginny beside grace. Harry and Ginny were staring at each other, both wearing their battle robes in their natural colours as Neville had requested. He had some that looked similar with the deep blue of his aura running through them, and had purchased Grace Robes with the light blue of hers. The wedding celebrant standing between the two talking of love and life of peace and happiness.

' _Gin, I'm sorry you don't get a wedding…'  
'Don't be Harry, I don't want one, and we have no father or mother to celebrate giving the other away. As it is with our bond, I just want you, and I have you. My life is better than I could imagine.'_ She smiled at him.  
Harry handed Neville the rings, not missing his cue. He looked back to Ginny and smiled. _'Mine too… What do you say that when this is over we go to Potter Island and spend a couple of days, just the two of us?'  
'I think that sounds perfect Harry'_

"You may kiss the bride!" The celebrant said as the group cheered the celebrant shouted over the top of the din caused by the small group. "I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom!"

After a small congratulations, the group was Shadow Stepped back to Potter Manor where they had a small reception which lasted well into the night.

* * *

Harry, Ginny and Hermione were at Potter Manor scouring through the library again, when they were approached by the other occupants of the household.

"Hey," Harry said surprised, "What can we do for you?"

Remus sat with the 3. "Guys, the 4 Girls want to move on with their lives, seeing how Grace has. Amelia and I however want to keep them protected, away from the fight of Voldemort."

"Once you stop living your life…" Ginny said looking up from her book, "Voldemort has defeated you."

"Wise words…" Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Yes," Remus continued, "We want them to live their lives, however we also want them to be safe. Harry, Ginny, do you think we can send them to one of your apartments overseas? Maybe the one in New York or Australia?"

"Where would they prefer? I don't mind either way." Harry said nodding, looking to the girls.

"America," Cassandra said, "We think that would be lovely, we want to study and enjoy our lives. Can we go after we see Grace and Neville again though? We want to say our goodbyes. It's only until you defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters." The others nodded, firm in their resolve to return when Harry and Ginny had completed their goal. Knowing they could do it and believing in them.

"All right," Harry responded softly. "I have something I need to take care of quickly" he said as he vanished from the spot. _'Gin, I am going to set up a trust for them at Gringotts with a decent sum of money and a muggle card. What do you think? I just want to make sure they're taken care of.'  
_ Ginny looked down to her book and smiled to herself, _'I think you are wonderful Harry, I will ask Milly if she knows of a house elf that can help them.'  
'Fantastic… I love you Gin, I shall see you soon.'  
'Love you too Harry.'_ She responded, while thinking he was getting a long passionate kiss for how thoughtful he was of others.

"Milly!" Ginny said aloud.

"Mistress Ginny?" Milly popped into the room and asked. "How may Milly be of service today?"

"Milly, do you know of any House Elves who would be able to help these four out? They are going to America and it would be good for them to have a house elf with them if they could. For protection and a bit of help around the home."

"Of course Mistress, Milly is knowing of a elf who is being freed last year. She can be bound to the Potter Family and do as you wish." Milly then popped out of the room.

"Ginny, you cannot make elves your slaves!" Hermione chided, "It's bad enough you have Milly, but you are going to get another?"

"Would you prefer them die a slow lonely death then? Because that's what happens. Don't give me an earful because you don't understand their customs." Ginny spat back at her. It was that moment that an excited looking Milly and hopeful elf who was introduced to them as Winky apparated into the room. "Hello Winky, would you like to become a member of the Potter Family and help out these 4 girls who are moving to America?"

"Winky is liking that very much Mistress Ginny." Winky said wringing her hands together.

"Very well, welcome to the family." Ginny said, the elves performed the bonding ritual.

Around 20 minutes after the ritual had ended Harry re-appeared with four Muggle Credit cards. "Cassandra, Jessica, Emily and Sarah." He said as he handed each of them a card. "Ginny and I have set up a trust for you, you will be able to use these in your new home. You have a trust account setup in all four of your names, don't be shy, but don't be wasteful. This is so you can live comfortably and study whilst you are in America."

The girls all hugged Harry and Ginny, giving them their heartfelt thanks. Remus, Sirius and Amelia all looked proud at what Harry and Ginny had done for the girls. They had treated them as their siblings from when they arrived, and even now, nothing had changed.

Neville arrived later that evening, Grace shortly after him. Nicholas and Perenelle followed too. They all sat around and talked, eating a light dinner of cold cuts and salad that Milly and Winky had prepared, the 4 girls excited for Grace and themselves. Hogwarts was to start in 2 days for a very excited Grace, and the 4 Girls would be getting Shadow Stepped to New York in the morning, where the group would spend some time before heading back to begin school.

The next day after lunch, the group Shadow Stepped together to the apartment in New York Harry and Ginny owned. It was still only 6am, so the group explored the apartment, it was a large penthouse style apartment with 5 Bedrooms, each with an ensuite and large wardrobes. The kitchen was well equipped, as was the living and dining rooms. The balcony was large, wrapping around the entire apartment and had a great view of the city.

"This place looks like it was setup for a large family to stay." Sirius said once they had re-gathered in the lounge.

"And the view is fantastic." Remus said with a nodding Perenelle and Nicholas.

"It is god to know you will be safe here." Minerva spoke up, having been asked to join them by Grace. She knew the Professor had grown to love them almost as children of her own. The group spent some time chatting in the sitting room before they made their way downstairs and made their way out to the Westfield World Trade centre to shop and enjoy their day together as a group.

As the day came to a close, sadness descended upon the group, they knew the girls would write and that they would see each other again when the war had come to a close but that wasn't to say they wouldn't miss them. With hugs all around the group bade their farewell to the young but strong women who would now be living far away from home. Harry and the others Shadow Stepped away, Time-Turning back 5 hours to ensure they got a decent sleep before they left for Hogwarts in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. I'll be keeping the chapters coming as frequently as I can.

One reviewer I should answer part of in here. rbear1231: why did no one test the other girls, seeing as they too were in foster and orphanages?

I did think about it but never wrote it, forgot about it completely. The other 4 girls Harry and Ginny rescued are Muggles.

 **Please note there is a sex scene in this chapter. An A/N will detail it for those who want to skip the smut**

 **Chapter 3. Absolute Corruption.**

Harry and Ginny made their way onto the train together. Having said their goodbyes to Remus and Sirius, they were going to reserve a compartment while Hermione said goodbye to her parents, and Neville and Grace were being seen off by his Gran.

Augusta Longbottom was very taken by her new Granddaughter in law, thoroughly approving of the strong willed young woman, it made her all the more proud of Neville, who himself, seemed to surprise her more and more each day, with just how much more powerful he was than any Auror out there, let alone living up to his parents reputations, she was gushing with pride.

Neville, Hermione and Grace entered the compartment the Potters had reserved, and as none of the group were chosen to be prefects, something they were sure had to do with Dumbledore, they didn't have to worry about the meeting that would be taking place at the front of the train, but they didn't care, oddly enough even Hermione was happy to not have to deal with the extra work that came with being a Prefect. She would still be a shoe-in for the Head Girl position, which was what she truly desired. They were sitting in their compartment comfortably as the train began to move, waving to their families as the train pulled out of the station.

Ginny had made herself comfortable in Harry's lap, the pair appeared to be sleeping, but the group knew they were in a meditative state, centring their thoughts and emotions, preparing themselves for whatever may come, having now left the safety of Potter and Flamel estates. Grace was sitting beside Neville chatting animatedly about all she had learned with Hermione.

Hermione liked Grace, however she found herself not wanting to listen to her right now, and left the compartment relatively quickly, seeking out George Weasley. She realised she was again jealous of the other couples. Neville and Grace were almost as close as Harry and Ginny seemed to be, and they weren't soul-bonded. 'Perhaps they were soul-mates too' she thought idly to herself. As she passed a pompous looking Ronald Weasley whom was walking with his chest poking out, a large shiny Prefect's badge sticking out.

He shouldered his way past her, almost knocking her into the corridor wall. "Careful Granger," He said in a tone reminiscent of what the offspring of Percy and Snape would sound like. "That is your only warning, I will take points and assign detentions if you are not careful." He said as he turned his back and continued on. Shaking her head, deciding to avoid the confrontation altogether, she walked into the compartment where Fred and Katie were sitting together, she sought out George and sat with him, across from Lee Jordan.

"Did you know your brother is a prefect?" Hermione asked George, practically spitting out the word brother.

"Did we know?" George asked,  
"He only told us 100 times…" Fred threw in,  
"And then there was mother,"  
"Oh yes… She only made sure to tell us… 5,"  
"10 Times…"  
"A day…"

"So yes…" Hermione said with a smirk, having missed the twins banter, "He just threatened me with detention after practically shoulder charging me."

"Well, it seems like our pompous brother will have a few accidents this year… Aye Gred?"  
"Too right Forge."

* * *

"Potter!" Ron said as he forced his way into Harry's compartment. He and Ginny had felt him coming with their Magical Perception, not bothering to open their eyes, they knew who it was and he was no threat. "Potter I'm addressing you! I am a Prefect now and you will treat me with the respect I deserve!"

Still not opening his eyes, Harry responded. "You said nothing but my name, no response was necessary. And respect is given when it is earned Weasley, you will never earn my respect."

Angered, face glowing red, Ron clenched his fists and swung. Ginny moved quickly and caught his hand in hers and crushed it, breaking the little bones in his hand. Harry smiled, as he heard the popping of the bones and a little yelp as she crushed her twin brother's hand. "Try that again Weasley…" Harry said with a smile, "I guarantee she will make it take a long time to heal, even with Pomfrey at your side."

Ron was just gasping now, his face pale in pain at Ginny's closed eyed crushing of his hand. "I'm a Prefect, you can't do this to a figure of authority!"

"It's pretty obvious I can… Weasley… You are no figure of authority to us…" Ginny spat out, "You're more stupid than Malfoy. He hasn't even come by this year, he isn't stupid enough. You may be my twin brother Ronald, but if you ever try to hurt my husband again, I will remove the offending appendage. Got it? You insufferable bastard…" She opened her eyes, glowing brown and growled out the last bit, and when Ron flinched and nodded she released his hand. Closing her eyes again and settling back into Harry's lap.

"Who are you?" Ron asked pointing with his good hand to the pretty brunette holding Neville's hand.

"Grace Longbottom," She said bluntly, the animosity between Ginny and him not lost on her, and she had heard of Ron previously, and realised that was exactly who he was.

"Sitting a little close with your sister or cousin there aren't you Neville?" Ron laughed.

"Try wife, dickhead. Now I suggest you fuck off before she kicks your arse too." Neville said, eyes flashing dangerously, as were Grace's.

"You had better watch yourselves." Ron said pointing at the pair with his good hand, before Grace flicked her wand out and forced him out of the compartment. He staggered backward as the door closed infront of him. "Shit, she's powerful too…" Ron said out loud before he thought to himself. 'Dumbledore would want to know about this.' And he nursed his broken hand, stalking off growling at some excited first years, almost ruining their experience of their first ride on the train.

* * *

As the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, Harry and Ginny willed their Battle Robes to change into Gryffindor uniform and made their way out onto the crowded platform. The first thing they noticed as they surveyed the area, was the lack of an overbearing Half-Giant, and the call of 'Fir's Years'. Instead they hear Professor Grubbly-Plank's more gentle voice calling out through the din. The second thing they noticed was Draco Malfoy lording over the first years with his Prefect's badge, Pansy Parkinson by his side, crowing at his side. Malfoy spotted Harry looking in his direction and with breakneck speed he looked away, avoiding Harry's eye, who for the moment thought nothing of it. He was more or less glad that Malfoy was avoiding him, suspicion only taking up a small portion of his mind at the moment.

As they made their way to the Carriages, they heard Grace's gasp. "What is that… pulling the carriages?"

"You know… I saw them last year but paid them no mind." Harry said.

"They're called Thestrals." Hermione said, "We have all seen Death now, so we can see them. They are gentle creatures, reminiscent of a dark Pegasus, often thought to be a bad omen. Only visible to those that have seen death with their own eyes." She said reciting the textbook.

"What do you mean we have seen Death?" Neville spoke up.

"Neville, you have seen, or killed people. Grace, you saw people die when they…" She gestured at Harry and Ginny who weren't phased. "Do you see what I mean?" Grace and Neville nodded as they climbed into the Carriage.

After the ride up to the school they were greeted by a rather flustered looking McGonagall. "Potters, Longbottoms, Granger. Please come with me… Quickly now." As they were led past the students through the Great Hall and into the side room where Harry and Ginny were taken the previous year after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. There were the four Heads of Houses now present in the room, Professors Sinistra, Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall as well as Professor Dumbledore.

"Miss Clarke…" Dumbledore began.

"Actually sir," She spoke up confidently, "It's Mrs. Longbottom now."

"Indeed, well then this is your sorting." Dumbledore said, as he looked over the group with twinkling eyes. Causing Harry's lip to curl in distaste at the man. He was no doubt attempting Legilimency on Grace, which Occlumency was one of the first things Neville had taught her. "Well… Usually this would take place in your first year, as you will see shortly. However, in your circumstances, you will have to be sorted now and you will join the house you are assigned, married or no."

"You WILL however be staying in the married quarters, regardless of which house you are in with Mr. Longbottom, as is your right." Professor McGonagall spoke up sternly, Dumbledore looking annoyed.

"Yes… Miss… Er, Mrs. Longbottom, please take a seat on the stool and I shall place the hat on your head." Dumbledore said, and she quickly did so.

She sat like that for what seemed like an age, Harry watched on, interested as it was taking longer and longer. He then noticed Dumbledore's wand out, and Grace had a tear falling. "Rave…" The hat began, and in a flash Harry disarmed Dumbledore wordlessly and wandlessly with a crack, launching the meddling old prick across the room, catching the old man's wand and holding it out for all to see.

"Thank you Mr. Potter." The Hat said aloud, "Grace Longbottom you do indeed belong to Gryffindor, with your husband, I apologise. None of what I just said were my words, they were forced upon me, my dear you are as intelligent as a Ravenclaw, but you are more brave and courageous. The heart of a Gryffindor."

At Harry's actions, and the Hat's words the four Heads of Houses rounded on the old man. "I think we will head to the Gryffindor table to wait with the others." Harry said with a smirk to his head of house who just nodded to him over her shoulder. He did not relinquish the wand as they left.

The group quickly made their way from the side room to the Gryffindor table, Neville holding Grace's hand comforting her, explaining what he could about Dumbledore and what he did to Harry and Ginny, who were behind them Harry holding Ginny close. Many people stared at the newcomer, the Girls muttering about who Grace was and how she got Neville, who was looking rather good, much like Harry. The Boys talking openly, wondering how Neville had come to find himself such a pretty young Witch they had never met before, Ginny still received a lot of stares from boys. But rather than getting jealous and angry as some might, Harry enjoyed that others found his wife so attractive, she was his, and they could never have a chance with her. The emotions running through him that Ginny had picked up on made her blush slightly as Harry put his arm around her waist as they took their seats at the table.

Harry handed Dumbledore's wand over to Neville. "She's your wife mate, snap it, return it whatever. If you want to give him a chance or warning, that's up to you."

"Thanks Harry, I… ill think on that." Neville growled, arm around Grace as he watched the old man move from the side room with the 4 angry Heads of Houses. Professor McGonagall made her way out to collect the first years, and quickly returned with them in tow.

"So," Hermione said to change topic to a lighter tone. "Hagrid is gone, I wonder why. We have Professor Flanagan here still which is good, he is a fantastic potions teacher." She looked around and squeaked. "Oh my, it's that Auror I helped at Azkaban." She whispered. "Colin Turner, he must be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"An Auror…" Neville mused, "Should be good."

Harry spotted Grace's confused look. "Think of a mix between a Police Officer and Military, Grace, an Auror is the magical equivalent of that. They are the highest level of Magical Protection in our society." Grace nodded now in understanding.

"Aaaand why do we have Umbridge here?" Ginny said, recognising the woman from one of their Ministry of Magic outings with Fudge. "She can't be a teacher, the positions would be full with Turner in the Defense slot."

"Fudge did say he was going to place someone at the school." Hermione said, "That must be who he picked."

"Well we will see what she does then wont we." Harry said softly as Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. Placed the stool down infront of the students and put the sorting hat on top of it.

The whole school waited with bated breath, then the Hat's brim opened, but instead of bursting into song it spoke; _"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I did have a song prepared for you, however events have unfolded in very recent times which have made me change my mind about the song."_

Dumbledore appeared to jump in his seat, he was pale and clammy looking now. There were whisperings and mutterings around the hall at this. No student or teacher had heard of the Sorting Hat deciding not to sing a song, Professor McGonagall thought to herself also, that no Headmaster of the school had tried to Imperious a student, and control the sorting hat for his own twisted set of principles before.

The Sorting Hat continued. _"I wish to speak with you about corruption. You must live your lives, and live life being true to yourself, and your own set of principles. Take pride in what you are doing, take honour in the fact that you are the one doing it… Here and now and in the future. Please… When some of you do make it into positions of power, as some of you will, do not let that power go to your heads._ _ **ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY!**_ _"_ The Hat screamed into the now silent Great Hall. Shocked gasps, students jumping in their seats, and a shocked looking Dumbledore and annoyed Umbridge now glaring at the Hat. _"Reflect on what you are doing, and if it seems questionable, consult others first!_

" _Always question authority if something they are doing seems questionable, and if you can, stand up to them. If you cannot alone, look to your peers to stand with you. For you are all stronger together, stand together you will conquer, divided you will fall… Pride in yourselves, Honour in what you do, and Integrity in all that you are."_ The hat now seemed to be facing, almost staring if it could at the 5 students that were in the side room of the Great Hall moments ago. This did not go unnoticed to them and a few of the Faculty too. _"Please… You can change the world."_

At the end of the speech the students of the Great Hall stood cheering and clapping loudly. Dumbledore stood and seemed to scream silence, but it was not heard over the noise of the students, some of which seemed to have been inspired by the words of the sorting hat. Others like Malfoy or Ron, not caring or understanding its message.

"SILENCE!" McGonagall wand to her throat, called with her amplified voice, the students in the Great Hall calmed and re-took their seats before the sorting began. With a last frowning look that swept the four House tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out, "Abercrombie, Euan." The terrified-looking boy Harry had noticed earlier stumbled forward and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears.

The hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Harry clapped politely with the rest of Gryffindor House as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again. Slowly the long line of first years thinned; in the pauses between the names and the Sorting Hat's decisions. Finally, "Zeller, Rose" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands, welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!" There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"So that was interesting," Harry said as he loaded his plate with food, as did Ginny and the others. "The hat was directly telling us to deal with corruption and remain united."

"It was also telling us to lend help to others who cannot stand for themselves." Hermione seemed to admonish him. To which Harry raised an eyebrow at her, and she just shook her head at him.

When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster. Harry was feeling pleasantly drowsy now. His bed was waiting somewhere above and he longed to cuddle up with Ginny and sleep, wonderfully warm and soft…

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had three changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons, we are also delighted to introduce Professor Turner, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and finally we have had a new class added by the Ministry of Magic, this class will be taken by second years and above, in the hopes that we can help you with your future careers. This will simply be called the Ministry Class, which will be taught by Professor Umbridge, attendance will only be once a week as opposed to your other classes." There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"

He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts. "Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to himself, all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat clearing cough "Hem, hem" and continued "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!" Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy, on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Students exchanged looks at this, some of them were barely concealing grins. "I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again "Hem, hem", but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance, as are your future career prospects. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching." Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.

"It is only after the crafting and honing of such special talents, can we really being to use them and grow as a Magical community. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

Harry found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking, no matter how ill deserved, was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. At the Hufflepuff table, Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest. At the Slytherin table Malfoy looked on with rapt attention, which Harry thought odd.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste. ". . . Because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited, we at the Ministry are here to help you." She sat down.

Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Harry noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again. "Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now… as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."

"Well," Hermione said, "We knew the Ministry were going to step in and keep an eye on the school, but I never figured they would be so blatant about changing it."

"Yeah…" Harry said, "But with people like Dumbledore at the helm of the school, it is a very dangerous thing to let him have absolute power, as the hat said, he has become corrupt."

"Yes but so has the Ministry." Neville said.

"All governments are corrupt." Grace spoke up. "It is always the case when you put a figure head at the top of the chain, they become the most corrupt."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment. "But how do you keep the masses under some form of control? Majority of people need someone to tell them what to do, what is right and wrong and enforce it… If you don't there will be full scale riots, murder on scales which are never seen, except from Voldemort or war."

"It's humanity at its finest." Harry said darkly. "and it's all because of people who want power over others..."

"With all the different types of Magical Races, you would think that there could be some form of common decency between them… a council?" Ginny said softly, almost hope in her voice.

"Unfortunately there will always be one striving for more power." Neville said, "I know that Binns is boring, but the Goblin Rebellions are a fine example of another Magical Race trying to get more power, they were downtrodden so badly by the humans, they revolted seeking power, people can't be trusted not to step on one society's necks to get ahead themselves."

"What can we do then?" Grace said softly. "The Hat was specifically asking us to make the world a better place."

Harry looked around at the 4 before him, realising they were waiting for him to answer, he thought he didn't know the answer but it came to him immediately. "Smash their world to the ground and rebuild our own." He said darkly. "A council might work, but not headed by any one individual like the Wizengamot, no inherited old family seats… but we need more planning, a solid foundation before we do any of that... and there will always be more death with a re-structure like that... or we just ignore it… recede from society and live our lives by ourselves, wipe out any form of Government that arises. Let the strong survive and the weak perish…"

There was a great clattering around them as they realised Dumbledore had just dismissed the school, and he was making a beeline for Harry and his friends. "Mr. Potter, I believe you have something of mine?"

"Nope, Neville does." Harry gestured to Neville, "You blatantly attacked his wife, in some form, so it is up to him what to do with your useless arse." Harry said as he walked off arm around a smirking Ginny.

Neville just flicked the old man's wand at him. "Same arrangement with me as with Harry, you only get one chance, and that was it. Piss off." Neville said as he walked past the man to Professor McGonagall to get instructions on how to reach the Gryffindor Married Quarters. Hermione simply shrugged to the man and walked off to the Gryffindor Tower, ready for bed for the evening.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sex Scene, skip to next line break if it's not for you, it's very… ummm… descriptive?

Harry and Ginny woke the next morning, and after sharing a brief lingering kiss, they Shadow Stepped to Potter Island for their training. While running along the beach they saw Neville and Grace arrive and head for the Time-Room. Knowing she had a lot of catching up to do still to be ready for her O. and Neville wanting to ensure her survival through whatever may come, Harry and Ginny had given them permission to use the room on their Island when they needed.

' _Gin, I know they have Dragonhide armour, but perhaps we could get them some robes made, and enchanted in some way?'_ Harry thought to Ginny whilst running.  
 _'That's a good idea Harry. It will help to keep them safe, which is what we need in this war.'_

Harry nodded in return, looking over at Ginny. Merlin, she was getting more and more beautiful every day, and her athletic, trim but petite figure looked amazing, especially in her workout clothes. Tight muggle short shorts that showed off her creamy smooth skin on her legs, tight tank top that hugged her slim body, her red flowing hair, pulled back into a pony tail, flowing down over her back, Harry couldn't help but feel the strong desire to take her right then. They stopped running, Ginny, feeling the emotions and desire from Harry, as he looked over her body set her off, she dragged him off the beach into the shade of the forest. Feeling her desire returned through the bond he pushed her up against a tree, gently but firmly and kissed her passionately.

Ginny tore Harry's training shirt off him, breaking the kiss only for a moment to get her top off too. Hands wandering over his back as she pulled him closer to her.

Harry was caressing Ginny's stomach softly then his hands trailed down, under her waistband, only to discover she wasn't wearing any knickers. Harry throbbed in wanting, but put her needs above his as he let his fingers trail over the puffy lips of her womanhood. "Oh…" was all the noise Ginny made, as Harry's other hand lifted her training bra up and over her head. Returning to the kiss he started massaging her breast, kissing her passionately, tongues dancing out to meet each other, before he trailed kisses down her neck. Nibbling at her as he made his way down to her collar.

Ginny was hot with anticipation. "Harry…" She groaned as she thrust into his hand, wanting more from him. He hesitated a moment in teasing, then trailed one finger along the length of her sopping wet slit, gently and carefully working his way up to the nub she reacted from so well. He wasn't disappointed this time either, as soon as he touched it Ginny quivered, and thrust into his touch again. "Oh Merlin, Harry… Please…" As she let her head fall back against the tree.

Harry was kissing her neck again, while massaging her breast, occasionally tweaking a nipple and massaging her clitoris softly but speeding up for her, stroking from top to bottom, slipping a finger inside, reaching in and pressing against the rough spot on the inside of her, causing her to gasp each time. After a few more strokes, Harry left his finger inside her and started rubbing the spot with his finger, and began massaging her clit with his thumb.

Ginny's breath was coming quick and raspy as she was now thrusting furiously into Harry's touch, back arching as she was being worked into a climax. She tensed all over "Ohhh Harryy!" She let out in a guttural moan as she flooded her shorts, filling Harry's hand as she came, making Harry throb almost unbearably, as she collapsed into Harry's arms.

Harry removed his fingers, and her shorts and lay her on her back, conjuring a blanket under her so she could be comfortable. Whipping his shorts, socks and shoes off as well as Ginny's he began kissing back up her body. He reached her stomach and he sat back up, he looked down at the beautiful woman that was his wife, still having after orgasms, her legs twitching lightly as she looked up at him with a blush and a smirk.

She spread her legs apart, invitingly, as Harry kneeled in between. Positioning himself at her entrance, Ginny was satisfied, but as soon as he slid in, the feeling of fullness and how sensitive her womanhood had become from her previous orgasm, ripped the satisfaction from her, replaced by the primal need for more. More Harry, and more of this overwhelmingly good feeling he was giving her. Harry was always gentle when first starting off, for which she was grateful as it always took her a minute to get used to him.

She thrust back up onto Harry lightly, letting him know she was comfortable with him as he lay down on top of her. One hand behind her head, bringing it up to his so he could kiss her passionately, while slowly moving in and out of her. His other arm holding his weight so he didn't crush her, their bodies still pressed together.

Ginny had to break the kiss for the increasing need of air as she tucked her head up into the crook of Harry's neck, she couldn't help but let out a moan of pleasure. He was hitting all the right spots today and her body was reacting like it had never before. Harry started nibbling at her neck and collar, while his thrusting increased in speed, she was thrusting up to meet him.

The sensations of their lovemaking began to overwhelm her, Harry sliding in and out of her, in just the right position for his member to rub against her now engorged clit, her breasts pressed up against him, nipples sliding over his chest with their combined thrusts, sending jolts down through her to her core. The nibbling and kissing of Harry, on her collar, neck and behind her ear, the overwhelming feeling of love flowing through their bond amplified by the each other. She couldn't hold it in any longer, she was thrusting back into him furiously as she shuddered and screamed "HARRY!" as she climaxed arching her stomach up to him, her entire body tensing up with the intensity of the feeling.

As Ginny did this, the pressure inside Harry built to unbelievable heights. When Ginny finally came the muscles inside of her tight slit contracted around him and drove him to the edge too. "Ohh… Gin…" He groaned out as he to climaxed, feeling his release inside of her. Collapsing on top of her both of them passed out from the intensity. An electrical storm that had surrounded the island subsiding as their consciousness did.

Hours later Harry woke to the feeling of Ginny playing with his hair as they lay there. They were still in a tight embrace. _'Hey you…'_ Ginny said as she felt Harry awaken through the bond, as his consciousness came to the forefront of his mind, the memory of their lovemaking before flashed before his mind's eye. Ginny felt the same almost overwhelming sense of love coming from him as before.

"That… That was incredible." Harry said aloud.

"I never knew anyone could feel anything like that." Ginny responded huskily. "Making love with you is fantastic… But that… There's no words…" Ginny smiled with a large blush, as the memory crossed her mind too.

Harry sighed, "As much as I would love to do that again, I think we should time-turn and head back to school. It looks like we slept till dinner."

Ginny nodded and they dressed again. "I think I need a day before I can do anything like that again." Ginny said with a laugh as she felt the throb of her overworked womanhood as she stood.

"Are you ok?" Harry reached out and touched her arm softly, they both felt a jolt between them as they touched and looked into each other's eyes. The feeling of undisputable love and a knowing of the other passing through them for the moment before Harry broke the touch. "What was that?"

"I… I don't know… but it was intense…" Ginny said as she touched him again, the feeling returning. "We will have to investigate this one later..." As she broke the touch and they both got dressed.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair, Harry and Ginny were glowing, not only with power, but the feeling of love from their earlier actions causing them to feel closer than they ever had previously.

Subconsciously Harry noticed he was receiving dark looks from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, and the Gryffindor table was silent as he passed. Harry looked around quickly, flashing Legilimency on people who were holding his gaze and looking at him darkly.

"Ohhhh…" Harry said softly. "They blame me for Cedric's death…"

Ginny sighed. "Harry, we've been over this, Snape acted of his own free will, he killed him without a second thought."

"I know, and I'm fine Gin, it's just strange… I would have thought they would be blaming Snape and Dumbledore. He was the one who kept Snape out of prison to kill." Ginny rubbed his back softly and supportively, then loaded her plate with breakfast. Their morning had left them both rather hungry.

Hermione joined them after they had started. "Hey guys, I'm sorry I missed training this morning. I was up late researching more on our task…" She said surreptitiously. "Nothing yet, but I feel like we're missing something. Like a larger piece of the puzzle."

' _I'm glad she wasn't there… I'm pretty sure we created another storm… She might have got hit by lightning…  
_ Ginny was struggling not to laugh at Harry's comment so she busied herself pretending she was fiddling with her robes.

"How do you mean Hermione?" Neville asked as he sat down with Grace, having heard the conversation on the way in.

"Well I just can't find anything about immortality rituals. I even started reading up on the ritual he performed using Harry. Nothing yet."

"Don't worry Hermione, we will find something." Harry said reassuringly.

Professor McGonagall was walking through the Hall along the Gryffindor Table, handing out their timetables, she stopped infront of the 5 students with a smirk. "You will be pleased to know that I have informed Ms. Umbridge of Albus' misgivings yesterday evening, he will no doubt be having long talks today with the Ministry. Enjoy your first day back, Mrs. Potter, you are positively glowing today." She finished her comment to Ginny with a knowing smirk, Ginny blushed a furious red, as McGonagall handed them their timetables and continued on down the table.

"Defence against the Dark Arts first, then Potions after Lunch…" Ginny said, attempting to drive the conversation away from McGonagall's assessment of her, "We know Turner isn't a Death Eater and Flanagan is a fantastic teacher, so today should be an enjoyable day." The group nodded in agreement as they finished their breakfasts and made their way to the Defence classroom.

* * *

"Good Morning Class, my name is Professor Turner, and I shall be teaching you Defence Against the Dark Arts for this year at the least." The man said, his voice no longer weak as it was in Azkaban, but powerful and with the air of leadership. "Today I wish to test your skills in a bunch of friendly duels. You will each take turns in duelling me…" He said sternly. "But I must warn you, I was an Auror up until last week. I was… relieved of my position due to medical concerns."

"Oh… Poor man…" Hermione whispered to the others, "I hope it wasn't a result of something I did wrong."

"All right, I will place your names into this box," Turner said as he conjured many small slips of paper and a box, filling it with the students names, "Then as I draw your names, you will duel me, nothing worse than a stunner please."

Turner removed the first name from the hat. "Brown, Lavender." He said as the girl sprung down from her seat to the front of the class. He placed a ward that would keep the rest of the occupants safe from harm. "Bow… Fight." He said, as Lavender launched a weak Expelliarmus, which Turner easily deflected, "Concentrate Miss Brown, even if I let that hit me, I could have kept my wand." Lavender nodded and sent a stunner to the man, who returned one quickly. Lavender didn't dodge but was hit, and crumpled to the floor.

This continued through the class, "Nott, Theodore." Who lost his wand to a disarming charm, "Weasley, Ronald" He was stunned quicker than Lavender, and made his way back to his seat blushing in embarrassment as Ginny had that morning. "Thomas, Dean," Dean did better than the others, launching off several spells quickly, before he too fell victim to a stunner.

"Potter, Harry." Professor Turner called, as Harry stood and made his way to the front of the room. "Now Harry, I heard of your fight against a Dragon in the first task last year, if we could keep each other out of the Hospital wing… that would be splendid." Harry said nothing, but nodded. "Alrighty then, Bow." Harry inched his head down, a reminder of Voldemort trying to force him to bow briefly flashing through is mind, causing him to be on edge. "Fight." Turner said as he launched several spells at Harry with blinding speed.

Harry stood there and held up his left hand, bringing up a golden shield. He had thought Turner would allow him the first attack, but he never gave him the chance.

As all of the spells connected with a quickly summoned shield, Professor Turner's eyes went wide, noticing Harry had just shielded himself against all of his spells, not only wordlessly, but wandless too.

Harry used the surprise as an opening, launching a powerful stunner with the same unarmed left hand. Professor Turner raised his shield but the stunner slammed through it and it shattered with a noise similar to that of breaking glass. Turner crumpled to the ground in a heap. Harry walked over to him, waved a hand and helped the now re-awoken man to his feet.

"Incredible." Colin whispered to him. Harry just nodded again and returned to his seat. Many members of the class were stunned, they knew Harry was powerful from his fight with the dragon, but he just beat an Auror effortlessly, Ginny was wearing a smile.

' _Your control is getting much better Harry, I felt the adrenaline … and yet not a single spark arced off you.'  
'Good, I wish we learned that earlier. It felt good, seemed like less power was wasted.  
'Yes, while that's true, you won't be able to help it when you need a lot of power in a fight. You will have the sparks and the Aura.'_

Harry took Ginny's hand and squeezed it in acceptance, not wanting to nod, as Professor Turner was still eyeing him slightly.

"Longbottom..." Turner said coughing at the end of the name. As Neville began to move, he realised that the eyes of the Professor were on his wife. Turner finished his cough and then said, "Mrs. Longbottom, your turn." There were gasps from around the room, the girls around the room gasped and stared as Grace confidently stood.

"You will do fine love." Neville said with a smile. As she made her way down to the front. All eyes were on the slim brunette now. Some in anger, others in envy, the anger was mostly from girls who wanted Neville as a catch for themselves, only just now realising he was spoken for, married, like Harry.

Grace reached centre stage, drew her wand and faced the Professor. "Bow… Fight." Turner was less ruthless to Grace than he was to Harry, for which he paid quickly. Grace dodged the disarming charm, spinning to the left of it, before dropping into a crouch, launching a stunning spell down low and a disarming charm up high. The Professor had only seen the stunner as he hopped over it lightly, then was hit in the chest by the powerful Expelliarmus. Grace caught the wand that flew over to her and made her way over to the fallen Professor, offering a hand up with one hand and his wand with the other. As Professor Turner was being helped up he whispered quietly to Grace, "Who else can fight like you and Harry? Am I right to assume, Mrs. Potter and Mr. Longbottom can too?"

Grace nodded and responded softly, "Hermione Granger as well sir."

"Very good Mrs. Longbottom, please take your seat." Professor Turner smiled to her, as she made her way back to Neville. The class just watched wide eyed, this new witch was fast.

"Excellent work you two," Harry said softly. Grace and Neville nodded at the compliment, knowing Harry was talking about their training, getting Grace up to speed with everything they had learned. She seemed to be as Agile as Ginny was, but only a fight between the two could really tell the difference between them.

"Very well," Professor Turner spoke, "Corner, Michael." The young dark haired boy stood, and as he walked down toward the front of the class he eyed Ginny and smirked. Neither, she nor Harry missed this. Harry caught his eye and with a quick blast of Legilimency learned he was no threat to either of them. 'I am going to beat this teacher quicker than Potter, and then Ginny will have to like me.' Was what he heard from the boy's mind.

' _It's not the first time he's been caught staring at me Harry.'_ Ginny admitted to him. _'He was working with Cho and Romilda at one point on a plan to get a love potion to you, I don't know where it went from there, but his idea was that he would swoop in and get the distraught damsel while you ran off with one of the others.'  
'What a tosser…' _ Was all Harry thought.  
Ginny just snuggled into Harry's side and gave him a peck on the cheek when she knew Corner was watching. _'Don't worry Harry, after this morning I am definitely not going anywhere, soul-bound or not.'_ She thought with muffled chuckle. Harry struggled not to let out a laugh too.

"Bow…" Turner began, "Fight!" Corner launched a flurry of poorly aimed attacks that Professor Turner barely had to dodge or deflect, before stunning him. " _Ennervate."_ He said in a soft, yet annoyed tone. "Sloppy work Mr. Corner, your shots were poorly aimed, and you were more likely to hit the married girl you were trying to impress, rather than defeat me, there is a Muggle term for people like yourself. 'Spray and Pray', now sit down before you injure someone with your misguided bravado and poorly aimed spellwork."

Many of the class laughed as Michael Corner was thoroughly rebuked by the Defence Professor. The rest of the class was less eventful. Ginny, Neville and Hermione weren't called to the front of the class either, as the bell sounded. "Miss Granger, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom and Potter, could you please stay behind? Just a word if you don't mind."

The 5 stayed back, earning some odd looks from other members of the class, Harry was known to be powerful, Ginny and the others however, were not.

"I would like for you to have lunch here with me if you do not mind so much?" Professor Turner asked politely. The group agreed and some sandwiches were brought in by a house elf, along with some Pumpkin Juice and tea. "You are quite obviously a talented bunch. I was expecting some power from Harry, but to be bested so easily was a true shock to the system. Especially from you Mrs. Longbottom, I have to admit I underestimated you both." The Professor said as he bit into a sandwich. "I don't need specifics, but did you train to achieve this level of power?"

Pleased that he wasn't asking specifics… yet, Harry nodded. Spurring the man onward. "I should advise you that I did not get forced from my job as an Auror, I quit, I was injured in the attack on Azkaban, I then decided that there was no way the Auror department could stop the Death Eaters when they are not acknowledging that there is even a group called the Death Eaters at present…"

"How badly were you injured? Did you recover quickly at St. Mungos?" Hermione asked, concern apparent.

Professor Turner looked at her oddly for a moment before he spoke, "The woman who helped me at Azkaban, she did such a fine job there was little left for St. Mungos to do except observe me as I healed the rest naturally." He continued to stare at her a moment before he continued. "Can I see you 5 train sometime? Or perhaps, if it is not too much to ask, watch a fight between you?" The Professor spoke carefully.

"Who put you up to this?" Harry asked Darkly, "Dumbledore? Are you under the Imperious curse?"

"No… heavens no. I just understand that you lot seem to be powerful people in the world, on the right side for once, and anyone siding with you Mr. Potter is on the winning side. I can see that just by looking at the conviction and feeling the power that rolls off the 5 of you. It is becoming more obvious by the second." Turner stopped for a moment before he spoke again. "It concerns me though… you put Imperious and Dumbledore in the same sentence, and today he is at the Ministry for Merlin-knows-what…" He looked at Harry deeply who checked his Occlumency shields, understanding they were intact he returned the stare. "Who did Dumbledore Imperious?"

"Me…" Harry said softly, barely above a whisper. Matching Turner's stare as the man's eyes grew wide for a moment.

"I see… Mr. Potter, will you let me train you? It will help to ensure you are never enslaved again." Turner spoke cautiously again.

"I am afraid I must decline Professor." Harry said respectfully, "I must also decline your request to see us train or fight… If you don't mind, we should be off, we have potions in a few minutes." Harry stood and held his hand out for Ginny who took it, "Good day Professor, and watch yourself with a few of the 6th years sir." Harry said as a friendly warning, no animosity, the Professor looked disappointed but not angry or annoyed.

' _Harry, do you think he could help us train?'_  
 _'I'm not sure love, but I trust he's not against us.'  
'How?'  
'He barely reacted when I rejected his requests, someone on the wrong side would have acted more desperately or got angry.'  
'And he was perfectly calm, more disappointed.'  
'Yeah. I think he might be alright.'_

Neville walked up beside Harry and Ginny, arm in arm with Grace, Hermione on the other side as they made their way down to potions they got to talking. "Well that was interesting," Neville said, "I used Legilimency on him, he has good shields, I had to go around them with power. He is genuinely wanting to help, I couldn't get why he really wants to help though... It's not deception, just a reason I couldn't pinpoint"

"At least there's that," Harry responded. "I didn't see any deception from him either, but I didn't try Legilimency on him, I thought he was trying on me at one point."

As the group continued their way down to the Dungeons to their potions lesson with Professor Flanagan. Harry talked over what he and Ginny were talking about, how he reacted when declined. The group was in agreement that he seemed trustworthy, but would gauge him before approaching him any further.

Potions with Professor Flanagan was always enjoyable, they all enjoyed his lessons as they learned a lot and he never took crap from Malfoy and his followers. Class started uneventfully with a discussion on how the ingredients of the Draught of Peace worked with each other to ensure the person being dosed didn't, become more anxious and agitated.

Flanagan then put the recipe on the board, which was stepped out and more detailed than any of Snape's instructions ever were;

1\. Add powdered moonstone until the potion turns green.  
2\. Stir until the potion turns blue.  
3\. Add powdered moonstone until the potion turns purple.  
4\. Allow to simmer until the potion turns pink.  
5\. Add syrup of hellebore until the potion turns turquoise.  
6\. Allow to simmer until the potion turns purple.  
7\. Shake powdered porcupine quills vigorously until they are ready and then add until the potion turns red.  
8\. Stir until the potion turns orange.  
9\. Add more porcupine quills until the potion turns turquoise.  
10\. Allow to simmer till the potion turns purple.  
11\. Add powdered unicorn horn until the potion turns pink.  
12\. Stir until the potion turns red.  
13\. Allow to simmer until the potion turns purple.  
14\. Add more powdered moonstone until the potion turns grey.  
15\. Allow the potion to simmer until it turns orange.  
16\. Add more powdered porcupine quills until the potion turns white.

It was simple, and not convoluted as opposed to Snape's which took just as long to deconstruct as it did to create the potion;

1\. + P M/St green. Stir blue.  
2\. + P M/St purple. Sim pink.  
3\. + s/ hb turquoise. Sim purple.  
4\. Sh P PQ Vig + red. Stir orange. + PQ turq. Sim purple.  
5\. + P U/H pink. Stir red. Sim purple. + P M/St grey. Sim orange.  
6\. +P PQ white.

When they were about to brew the potion, things got interesting for Grace. Lavender and Parvati approached her while Neville was collecting ingredients for their potion. Harry and Ginny just watched closely as Hannah Abbott a Hufflepuff and to their surprise Millicent Bullstrode, a Slytherin also approached her.

"How did you get Neville to marry you?" Demanded a particularly angry Hannah Abbott. "He's liked me for 2 years now and you swoop in and get him."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you deluded girls, but Neville and I have been dating since the Summer of your Third year… He wanted to bring me to the Yule Ball, but at the time I couldn't attend." Grace said confidently, looking over to Neville who was still collecting ingredients.

"You spread your legs for him… Didn't you, you little slut." Millicent Bullstrode snorted out, the ugly hag jabbing her in the chest. In a flash, Grace had the paring knife off the bench, hidden in the sleeve of her robe and pushing into the chest of the heavy set Slytherin, restraining herself from breaking the skin, holding the large girl to her with the other hand. The other 3 having seen her get the knife and hide it, immediately backed off.

"Listen closely, little snake…" Grace said with all the venom she could muster. "Neville and I are married because we are in love. Try anything, and I will show you just what it means to be skinned alive, if you ever approach me again, no man will know what they are looking at IF the time ever comes for you to spread your legs… Got that?" Millicent nodded, red faced and angry at the girl before her, who was pressing the blade into her chest with such force, she was surprised she was still standing. "Good." Grace said as she removed the knife, "Now slither on back to your friends."

Grace turned her back to Millicent who reached over to the bench and quietly picked up a larger knife, she then grabbed Grace's long black hair by the pony tail and made to cut her throat. Grace was too fast, she spun, her silky hair slipping out of the larger girls grasp. She then grabbed the wrist bearing the knife and wrenched it sideways with a loud snap. Then palm thrusting outward with a large amount of magic pushed into the blow, she drove her palm into the girl's chest causing her to rocket across the room and into the wall with a wet slap. Unconscious or dead.

"Miss Abbott, Patil, and Brown, take Miss Bullstrode to the Hospital wing please, and without Magic." Professor Flanagan said without a care in the world. He then made his way over to Grace and whispered. "Excellent work Mrs. Longbottom, 20 points to Gryffindor, I will ensure she is expelled for that when she recovers… Professor Turner would have loved to have seen this." He winked to her and walked away with a massive smile on his face. Grace did her best to hide hers as Neville returned to her.

Harry and Ginny who watched the whole thing were doing their best to not react the entire time. The school needed to know that Grace may be new, but she couldn't be messed with. However they were completely shocked by Flanagan's reaction.

* * *

By Dinner word had quickly spread about Grace's antics in potions class. She drew more glances than before from the student body, and venomous glares from the Slytherins, as she and Neville stalked to their seats with Harry, Ginny and Hermione already at the Gryffindor table.

"I can understand what you mean about gossip here Neville." Grace said loudly as they sat. "It's like they have nothing better to do than live vicariously through other people's lives." She glanced around, people averting their eyes from her as she did.

"Harry always gets the worst of it." Hermione said quietly, "After Ginny and he were married by the bond, they were gossiped about for weeks."

"Doesn't help when I'm the bloody boy-who-lived…"

"Boy-who-lived?" Grace looked at him questioningly, as Harry now had a mouthful of food, Ginny spoke up for him.

"Voldemort killed his parents, and then tried to kill Harry, It didn't work, and he was dubbed the boy-who-lived. No one has survived the killing curse before but him. He's done it a few times now though."

"Yes… and I don't want you testing yourself against it either. You see a green curse, you dodge." Harry said, pointing a fork to her.

The next morning, the group were leaving a particularly boring History of Magic class, unexcited by the prospect they would have to attend the Ministry class next.

"Ugh," Harry groaned, "Bloody pink cardigan wearing toad…" Causing Ginny to giggle as they entered the room, seeing the woman standing at the front of the room with a broad smile.

The class was quiet as they entered, Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be. "Well, good afternoon!" she said when finally the whole class had sat down. A few people mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply. "Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her, Harry just sat there with a dazed look on his face. "There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it?" She made her way around the class now handing out pamphlets. "Now then, this class was designed and integrated into the Hogwarts system, to help you figure out what career path you would like to follow when you join the Ministry after your 7th year at Hogwarts."

"If…" Harry said softly, Umbridge spun around quickly.

"Who said that?" She squawked, Harry stood, standing before her defiantly. "Why would you of all people Mr. Potter, not want to work at the Ministry? It would easily be the best place for you…" She trailed off as if waiting for an explanation.

Harry just raised an eyebrow at her, thinking he shouldn't draw more attention to himself he came up with what he thought was a rather good explanation. "Ma'am, I am as of yet, still weighing up my options. I may eventually join the Ministry, but not immediately." _'No chance…'  
'None love'_ Ginny replied with a smirk.

Umbridge seemed annoyed, but resigned herself for the moment. "I see Mr. Potter, please be seated. Now then, there are several departments…"

' _I really don't like her Harry…'  
'I know, it seems to me like she is attempting to brainwash students into thinking there is only the Ministry.'  
'It would work with the lower years.'_ Harry nodded, Umbridge smiling at him assuming he was paying attention and being swayed by her speech.  
 _'One extreme to the other.'_ Harry thought thinking of how Dumbledore mentioned the ministry as little as possible, whereas now they were subject to this… toad attempting to brainwash them all.

Harry during his mental conversation with Ginny, saw Ron raise his hand from the other side of the room. "Mr…?" Umbridge addressed him

"Weasley," Ron said, "What does the Ministry plan to do about the return of you-know-who?" Harry knew the Weasleys were avid Dumbledore supporters, he also knew this question was definitely a mistake to ask.

"Ten Points from Gryffindor Mr. Weasley!" The whole class was silent and staring between Ron, Umbridge and Harry. "Now, let me make things quite plain." Umbridge paced the front of the room, "You have been told by the Headmaster that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead… This is a lie!" She said as she looked around the room with anger in her eyes, then settling her gaze on Harry. "The only thing we know for certain is, Harry Potter killed Cedric Diggory."

"What…" Harry growled a small crackle of sparks surrounding him briefly. Umbridge almost flinched but remained defiant in her unconfident gaze at the.

"We know what you did Potter, we just do not have the proof to prosecute!"

Harry stood, resisting the powerful urge to pull out a Glaive and gut the pathetic excuse of a human before him. "You have no proof…" Harry laughed and smirked at her. "So you are slandering me infront of witnesses then? You Ministry types…" Harry trailed off.

Umbridge paled slightly, then intrigued, "No please, finish your sentence, Potter." She looked him directly in the eyes, her toad-like smile sending his blood into a boil… why? Why were his instincts screaming at him that she was an enemy and to kill her?

Harry then used Legilimency on her, he saw her kneeling before Voldemort, informing him that she would be placed in Hogwarts this term, and that she would get information on Potter. "You Ministry types always make the most stupid choices… Tell me… Have his legs grown back yet?"

Umbridge went white as a ghost. Ginny, Neville, Grace and Hermione all sat bolt upright and looked at Harry. Others in the room simply looked confused, especially Ron. "Detention Mr. Potter, Tonight, with myself and the Headmaster, in his office."

"HA!" Harry laughed mockingly, "You can count on my head of house being there too," as he dismissed himself from the classroom. _'Gin, stay there and see if you can get any more from her, I won't be far love'  
'Okay Harry, I don't like this, she's a Death Eater isn't she?'  
'Yeah Gin, or a supporter and informer of Junkless at the very least.'  
'I'll be on my guard and let the others know.'  
'I doubt she's dangerous, just stupid. I'll wait just up the corridor a little.'_

Harry and Ginny chattered with meaningless conversation over the next half hour. Before she appeared next to him, having Shadow Stepped, after class being dismissed. "So, I couldn't get her to look at me, even when I blatantly talked to Hermione."

"We need to be careful... and here I thought the school was nearly empty of Voldemort's meat-shields… C'mon, I need to talk to Professor McGonagall about my detention."

* * *

Harry strode past the Gargoyle, which promptly hopped to the side, not wanting to obstruct the heir of a founder. Knocking once on the door at the top of the spiral staircase, "Enter." He heard from Professor Dumbledore. As he made his way into the room he saw Professor McGonagall sitting in the corner, Umbridge standing beside Dumbledore, who was seated at his desk.

"Professor." Harry nodded to McGonagall in greeting, which she returned, then stared at the other 2 in nothing short of hostility. Dumbledore looked at Harry briefly, this was the first time Dumbledore had looked him in the eye for some time, and seeing his chance he struck… Hard.

Legilimency loaded with power, blowing through the shields Dumbledore had in place as he looked at Harry in horror, sitting rigid, unable to move for a brief moment in shock. He saw events and moments flash before his eyes. Harry dug hard and fast through the old man's mind. Specifically looking for information on Voldemort, then he found it… The word Horcruxes… The Diary from the Chamber, A Ring… A shack, a cliff face with a cave, the number 7, the name Slughorn. Then suddenly Dumbledore regained his composure and looked away, shaking from the viciousness of Harry's attack. Harry just smirked, he had found what he wanted, but Dumbledore didn't know Harry had struck gold, he simply thought the boy attacked his mind for his own purposes.

' _Gin… Tell Hermione to research Horcruxes.'  
'I take it you raided the old man's head?'  
'Right in one love. The number 7 has something to do with it, and Slughorn too.'  
'Alright, I'll go see her now. I love you Harry,'  
'Love you too Gin, see you real soon.'_

Umbridge cleared her throat in her usual way that, now made his skin crawl, bringing his mind back to the here and now. "Mr. Potter, you are here because you failed to show respect to a member of the Hogwarts staff and the Ministry of Magic."

"Hardly…" Harry spat,

"What do you mean Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall said questioningly.

"He insinuated that I worked for the Dark Lord!" Umbridge scowled. Harry burst out laughing, "What pray tell, Potter, is so funny?"

"I never said anything about you working Voldemort." Harry smirked evilly no longer laughing, McGonagall gasped, Dumbledore looked wide eyed. "Just how you idiots always make the wrong choices. I don't think you'll be giving me anymore detentions Umbridge… Unless you want to be locked in a room alone with me." Harry smirked darkly, then turned and strode out of the Headmasters office without a backward glance. He would find a way to end Umbridge as soon as he could.

* * *

As Harry walked along the corridor, headed to the alcove the group tended to use for Shadow Stepping to Harry's room, he passed Grace, who was walking along smiling. Harry smirked at her, "Where are you headed off to Mrs. Longbottom?" Harry asked.

"The Headmasters office," She replied, "he asked me down there saying Professor McGonagall would meet us there too."

Harry nodded, smile dropping from his face, "Still, keep your guard up, he's a tricky bastard." Grace nodded as she turned and continued on. Harry wore a frown as he Shadow Stepped to his room to meet Ginny.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey all, Hope you had a good Christmas and new years celebrations. This chapter is a bit of filler on the past and thoughts of Dumbledore. It is much shorter than others, but was quite the hard one to write.

Thank you all for the reviews, i do read all of them, and appreciate them!

P.S. Still hate he old prick.

* * *

 **Chapter 4. Reflections of a fool**

Dumbledore sat in his office, and as McGonagall left telling Albus she would find a way to have Umbridge removed, he stared at the door, thoughts on the woman Harry had as good as threatened to kill that evening. Harry had revealed her to be a Death Eater, once again he felt as though he had placed his hopes in the wrong person. "Where did it all go wrong? Why does everyone insist on working against me?" He whispered, Fawkes trilling a sad note from his perch. The old man stood and made his way over to the bird. All he wanted was to ensure peace for the world, ensure the safety of the citizens of Magical England, for the Greater Good of the people, and for that to happen he needed a protégé, to carry on his legacy, to be the next leader of the light.

First there was his friend, and lover, Gellert Grindelwald, they had planned together to bring peace to the world, ruling over all with benevolence. But it all went wrong and his sister Ariana had paid the price with her life, and Grindelwald vanished.

He then trained under Flamel, Nicholas had been disappointed to learn that everything Grindelwald was doing, was inspired by him in some form or another. 'It was for the greater good of humanity as a whole,' he had told Nicholas. 'He and Gellert would have ruled as the benevolent overlords of their world, Wizards would no longer need to hide from Muggles, but instead use them for their own gain. Alas that cannot be now.' he thought to himself. Nicholas had ensured he defeated Gellert, saying it was his responsibility for creating such a monster, and unleashing it upon the world.

The defeat of his ex-lover and former friend tore at his heart. But as Nicholas threw back at him, using his own words no less, it was for the greater good. He accepted it as truth, as he knew it to be, as Gellert had indeed gone further than Albus had ever planned to on his quest for greatness and control over people.

Then there was the next dark lord, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Voldemort. Immediately after Grindelwald's defeat, there was a large confrontation between a 7th Year Tom and Himself, in front of Nicholas. Tom accusing Dumbledore of being a hypocrite, how he shouldn't have a place in the wizarding world, how he deserved nothing but oblivion. It was quite plain even at that point that Tom was going Dark very quickly, causing Nicholas to wonder why. He didn't have to wait long as Tom was quite the talker when wound up.

When Nicholas learned that Dumbledore had framed Miss Williams, as a supporter of Grindelwald, having her sent to Azkaban 4 years prior, for a crime she never committed, he was furious. Dumbledore had never intended for her to be subject to the Dementor's Kiss. He had intended for the girl to be imprisoned for a while, but the mess that the magical creature created was astonishing. He knew she was Tom Riddle's soul-mate, but needed her out of the way so he could begin to groom Tom as an apprentice of sorts. All he wanted was to ensure Tom, who was an incredibly talented young boy, would grow up into the Magical Protector the world needed, for the Greater Good. Instead, as the soul of the girl could never move on, it broke him, but instead of shattering and turning into a mess, then killing him, as it would have if she simply died, it succeeded in forging him into an uncontrollable weapon, so devastating that he left a trail of destruction in his wake.

Nicholas blamed him entirely for the creation of Lord Voldemort, and every Death that the new Dark Lord caused, the blood be on Albus' hands. His reasoning was, if he had of left Tom Riddle and Rebecca Williams alone, then Voldemort would have never been created. It was then, that he renounced Dumbledore as his student, then removing himself from wizarding society completely.

And then there was Harry. Rather than let the boy have free will, living with Sirius Black, he sent the child to the Dursley's immediately, knowing the boy would grow up feeling worthless. It would allow him to step into the role of the loving and caring Grandfather when the boy arrived at school. Sirius set the stage for the fall of Pettigrew, but Sirius failed and was blamed for the murder anyway. Dumbledore, having seen the evidence before him, proving Sirius innocent, sealed it away, he couldn't allow Sirius to take charge of the Boy's life.

Dumbledore was happy with his success, but when Harry came to school he was dark, cunning and already spending time with the young Miss Weasley. He intervened immediately, Imperiousing the boy during his first year, binding his magic and setting a plan in motion to have the girl removed in a series or horrible accidents that would have her expelled, removed from Hogwarts she would also leave Harry free to be influenced onto the path he needed to be. The first part proceeded correctly, with Lucius Malfoy playing into his hand by planting the Diary in Miss Weasleys cauldron, he didn't realise that Dumbledore had been the one to implant the idea in his head through Legilimency suggestion, assuming he had some dark artifacts left over from his days as a Death Eater. However the piece of Voldemort's soul in the diary had other ideas, destroying his plan altogether when Harry went down there to rescue Ginevra.

He was alarmed to hear that Harry too, was soul-mates with Ginevra Weasley, and even more so when Nicholas had told him that he would train the two and that they were already bound. As he made his way back to his desk, his thoughts solely rested on Harry and the path that he would follow to darkness if he did not follow the mentors. Himself and Fawkes. For Dumbledore did now understand that Harry was the First, and Ginevra was the Second, he had accepted that. However the Meddler could no doubt be Nicholas, and the Mentors were himself and Fawkes. He needed time to hone them, Harry, and now Ginevra needed to be a precise single shot weapon. Kept in safety until they could be thrown at the Dark One.

But Nicholas would not see reason, and now the boy has been trained, and had found value in his life with Ginevra. His plans for Harry have been unravelling ever since, his attitude towards the world darkening. The boy was quickly seeing the Wizarding World as one he would no longer want to save but toss into the trash and start over, or abandon totally. His prejudices against the Pure-Bloods made that abundantly clear.

He was also worried about the re-emergence of Harbinger and Interfector. They had been known through time to have a devastating effect on the war, for whomever was opposing their side. Dumbledore had decided the next time he confronted them he would shoot first and ask questions later. They needed to be under his influence, and he would do so with force, as leader of the light it was only correct.

Direct attempts to regain Harry under his influence however, seemed to fail every time, some of the more subtle ways he had tried, either had no effect, or the boy was so careful that he avoided particular traps intentionally.

'No…' He thought, he would use Harry's friends to gather information on the boy and work from the shadows if he must. Umbridge was one solution, and a longer one at that, to force Harry's hand into siding with him, but for now his current solution came knocking on the door that very moment. "Enter…" He called, wand in hand under the desk, a brief flash of 'what if you are wrong this time' blasted through his consciousness, but he ignored it. Everything he was doing was for the Greater Good… 'For the Greater Good.' He repeated the Mantra in his head as Grace Longbottom entered the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5. Sleight of Hand**

Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Neville were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, working on an essay for Professor Flanagan on the uses of Syrup of Hellebore. Grace was still at the Headmasters office, as Fred and George Weasley approached the group.

"Hey guys, what can we do for you?" Ginny said politely, looking up with a smile.

"We were wondering…" Fred said with a cheeky smirk,  
"If you lot would like to get in on a prank…" George said, voice lower than Fred's before they both lowered their voices even further.  
"On a certain trio of Prefects?" They finished together.

Hermione raised an eyebrow questioningly. "One of them I understand, who are the other two?"

"Ron you know…" George said as he sat down next to her.  
"Malfoy and Parkinson…" Fred said as it explained everything to her, while he remained standing.  
George, knowing the others may not have witnessed, "The pair of them were tearing into 1st years of other houses. They need to be taken down… publicly."

"How?" Harry said as he sat forward into his seat. Interested, hating bullies, thoughts of Vernon and Dudley in his consciousness.

"Well, we have the most of the how sorted, we just need some quick unseen people to do some…" Fred trailed off.  
George immediately picked up his thought. "Distracting."

The group smirked, but their smirks were wiped from their faces as their seats seemed to shudder slightly as the castle shook beneath them, then Grace appeared behind the twins, having Shadow Stepped into the room. "Neville!" She gasped, Neville was by her side in an instant, as his wife collapsed into his arms. Burying her face into his chest, her body rigid, "Dumbledore… My HEAD!"

"What happened love?" Neville whispered. "What did he do?"

"I'm not sure… a curse… through my shield" she groaned out in obvious pain.

"Grace, fight it!" Harry stood, anger seeming to roll off him. "Tell him no and force him out, your will is strong and he has no claim over you!"

Grace nodded, scrunching her eyes, concentrating for a moment. "What did he do to her?" Neville asked Harry worriedly.

"The same thing he did to me." Harry growled out. "Don't become a slave to him Grace…"

Grace's aura surrounded her softly, rather than a flame, she appeared to glow. After a few minutes of scrunching up tense, then relaxing she finally sighed relaxing for the last time, as she opened her eyes again, regaining control over herself and sitting up, the glow surrounding her diminishing. "He's gone."

"He's crossed the line too many times." Neville snarled, he stood. "I'm killing him."

Grace quickly grabbed him and drew Neville back down to her level. "No…" She held him tightly. "We are going to plan it carefully. We are not going to rush off half-cocked and get ourselves caught, or killed." Neville nodded, Harry too sat back down. Fred and George were worried too.

"Looks like we have some planning to do." Harry said softly. Thankfully the common room was empty as it was late. Nobody saw Grace's aura.

Harry sighed, turning back to the twins. "So what was this prank you wanted help with?" Fred and George looked at Grace cautiously who nodded, letting them know she was alright before they continued on.

* * *

The next week passed quickly with the planning of their prank. Harry noticed Neville and Grace quite often were in the Gryffindor Common room, or Potter Island. Their little scare with Dumbledore had shocked them into a more serious training regimen, every day they spent at least half of the day in the Time Room at Potter Island training. They were looking rather worn by the end of the week, Harry was considering approaching them, but thought the better of it. They knew their limits and what they were doing. They would take rest where they needed it. But if they got too bad Harry would need to step in, and possibly train with them.

Dumbledore was rather subdued over the week, sequestering himself to his office only appearing for meals. Harry had hoped he didn't have anything more planned, but refused to let his guard down.

It was the Saturday morning which proved interesting for Harry and Ginny. They received an embossed envelope from a rather attractive royal owl.

 _Mr and Mrs Potter,_

 _I request that we meet at your earliest convenience, I have some information that is pertinent to both of you. Please feel free to drop on by when you get the chance._

 _C.O.F._

Harry thought for a moment then it came to him. _'Cornelius Oswald Fudge.'  
'Is he being careful? Wondering who is reading his mail?'  
'Merlin Gin, it seems so, but it's not hard to figure out. Should we go now?'  
'Yeah.'_

Harry and Ginny stood and left the Great Hall immediately, bidding the others goodbye who didn't ask questions, knowing that the pair would let them know what was happening as soon as they were able.

The pair made their way to a secret passageway they had discovered previously and Shadow Stepped directly into Fudge's sitting room in his office.

"Minister." Harry spoke up from the Sitting Room.

"MERLIN HARRY!" Fudge shouted, as he jumped. He was sitting alone at his desk pouring over notices and bills that needed his attention. "How in the name of Merlin did you get in here? Never mind… You wouldn't tell me that anyway. I am glad you came so quickly. I have something that may need your immediate attention."

"Oh?" Ginny said in surprise at Fudges urgency.

"Yes, please take a seat." The Minister of Magic said politely. "Dumbledore…" He said in a sigh. "It seems he has convinced some members of the Department of Law Enforcement to investigate you for the Murder of Cedric Diggory, Harry."

"Another attempt at some form of control..." Harry growled darkly, causing the Minister to flinch slightly. "Yes… I heard from Umbridge… She said they have no proof."

"Indeed Harry," Fudge said, "I cannot even offer a pardon unless charges are laid. He has used some of his old contacts in the Auror office, and the few faithfuls he has left in the Wizengamot to pressure the Department into action, I can and will apply some back pressure where I can, but as the Department operates rather autonomously, I cannot do anything until formal charges are laid."

"I understand Minister." Harry said, deep in thought now

"Harry I urge you to use the utmost caution. Something is at work here, besides Dumbledore, even I cannot keep tabs on... Personnel have been disappearing and returning to work as though nothing is wrong." Fudge said, worry now apparent on his face.

Harry nodded, focusing on his Magical Perception and looking around the room. There were multiple objects and one that appeared Dark. If it was a listening device, they already knew everything, so Harry decided to leave it. It was better to know it was there and be more cautious than to remove it altogether and wonder. Knowing it was there meant they could control the information leaked. "Thank you minister, I will be more careful with my actions now." He then waved his hand and froze the listening device for the moment. "Cornelius, someone has planted a listening device in the room, that orb over there." Harry gestured and the Minister went pale, turning back to Harry after looking at the Orb. "Use caution, do not remove it, and just know it's there." He said as he stood waved his hand again and left without another word, hand in hand with Ginny.

' _Harry? Love? Are you alright?'  
'Just thinking I should have killed Dumbledore years ago… We're helping Neville and Grace with that. And that bloody listening device…'  
'You think Voldemort?'  
'One of his little Death Eater minions for sure.'  
'What are we going to do about the charges?'  
'Nothing. They don't stand a chance, they try charge me, I go into hiding.'  
'We…'  
_Harry chuckled. _'Yes love, we… We need to talk to McGonagall about this I think.'_

Ginny nodded and the pair left the Ministry quickly.

The pair quickly approached McGonagall the next day, she agreed with Fudges plan of waiting. They knew there was no real evidence against Harry as he was innocent. Even if they were to try Harry under Veritaserum, he would testify to Snape being the one to commit the murder.

Dumbledore on the other hand, the group was planning a way to bring him down, they would need to draw him away from the castle of his own accord, approach him as their alter ego selves and take him down, all the while having the alibi of being at the castle the entire time. Something they could easily do with the time turners. The hardest part was drawing Dumbledore from the castle long enough, and to a secluded enough place, that they could quickly ambush and destroy him without incident or witnesses.

* * *

The last week in October was the day that all their prank planning would be put into action. Fred was in place in the Great Hall under the Invisibility cloak, George was next to Ron who was tucking into his breakfast with Gusto. He had performed all the necessary transfigurations and was waiting for the 'Distraction' as they called it. As Ginny and Grace were the quickest and most agile they would be performing this task. Neville and Harry had both their own tasks to accomplish as did Hermione.

Ginny and Grace waited until everyone was absorbed in their breakfast and conversation before making their move. In what looked like a flicker between the pair, they vanished behind the Head Table. Dumbledore was summoned backward by Ginny and put in a full body bind by Grace.

Everyone in the Great Hall was shocked, and stood. Fred and George were next, they did some quick transfiguration work on Ron and Malfoy, then placed a sticking charm on their robes as they sat back down. Dumbledore was freed from his body bind by Professor Sinistra and he stood back up, looking around the room, eyes resting on Harry and his group only briefly.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful until Ron stood. He appeared to be stuck, with one quick movement he stood in a flash, with a help from a few weak cutting curses from George, his robes tore off revealing him to be wearing nothing but pink underwear with love hearts, in the love hearts said RW+DM 4EVA making him blush brilliantly, running toward the doors before he was stopped suddenly by Neville's silent Immobulus.

Draco quickly found himself under attack by many stinging hexes, from an invisible object. He stood quickly tearing off his robes too, with underwear matching Ron's. He too tore from the Great Hall, again being frozen in place by Neville.

Hermione and Harry then struck with powerful Confundus Charms, as Neville released the Immobulus. Pansy Parkinson jumped up and began performing a rendition of a Muggle song Hermione had heard in the summer, it was called 'I'm too sexy by Right said Fred.' Gred and Forge agreed whole heartedly with her song choice, to which she blushed brilliantly at George's praise of her.

Harry then put a Mistletoe over Ron and Draco's heads and they began to kiss passionately, while Pansy continued her song, removing items of clothing as she was making her way infront of them. The Great Hall was in stitches of laughter, even a few of the Head Table struggled to contain themselves.

As Pansy finished in her song, only left in her underwear, Draco and Ron stopped kissing, now mortified. The three ran from the hall as fast as their legs would carry them. During the Great Halls laughter, Harry and Ginny worked together to create an emblazoned golden lettered sign over the entrance to the Great Hall. 'Bullies will be Dealt with… Harshly.'

The hall slowly stopped laughing at the signs appearance as Dumbledore screamed into the room, rather more high pitched than usual, "SILEEEENCE!"

The children looked around at the Headmaster, who attempted to regain his composure. "Because someone feels the need to punish and prank Prefects no less, the Quidditch House Cup is cancelled until the perpetrators of this, horrendous act come forward." The Hall exploded into uproar, Heads of Houses included in the complaints. McGonagall looked especially furious. "OFF TO CLASS! ALL OF YOU!" Dumbledore screeched over the din again, as everyone stood and left in mutterings of anger.

* * *

Not wanting the rest of the school to be punished, Harry, Ginny, Neville and Grace arrived in the entrance to the Headmasters office that evening, with their Head of House, having told the other 3 that they would turn themselves in. They wouldn't allow the twins to be punished for the prank, they knew the Headmaster would probably take out his failures on them. They also pointed out to Hermione that she had a perfect record and was seemingly able to avoid the Headmaster's meddling's effortlessly, she agreed to stay behind.

"Enter" The group heard as they made their way into the office, not having knocked in the first place. "Ahh Harry, Ginny, Neville… and the lovely Grace..."

A memory of the last time Grace had been in this office punctured her consciousness. "Enter…"

Grace stepped forward into the office, as the headmaster gestured her to sit. She complied, after her warning from Harry however, she was on edge. "Grace, you have been summoned here today because I need information from you."

"What information?"

"I am aware that you were an orphan and may not have received a Hogwarts letter, but how did you come to befriend Harry, Ginevra, Hermione… and most importantly, how did you come to marry the young Mr. Longbottom?"

Grace looked at the Headmaster in the here and now and narrowed her eyes, he flinched lightly at the pure hatred that was in her glare. The group before Dumbledore bristled at the casual use of their first names, but Neville exploded when he addressed Grace. "You will not speak to her… we know what you did." He spat with such venom that even Professor McGonagall looked on in fear.

Grace looked at the hole which was still burned through the desk, the memory of her previous encounter continued.

Grace didn't answer the Headmaster's questions, she just sat there wordlessly. She felt a pressing against her Occlumency shields, which Neville had her re-enforce for her meeting with the old man. Knowing her shields were strong, she kept his gaze, then he struck. A wordless body bind spell. She saw it burst through the desk, where it burned a hole. She had spent what seemed like forever in combat training with Neville. While he said it was never as intense as Harry and Ginny's training with the Flamels, they still were hunted down by training Dummies and lived on the edge for months at a time.

It was only because of her training, agility and combat readiness thanks to her husband, that she was able to dodge the spell, in one quick spin she had both her sword and wand drawn. Sword overhead, wand at the ready. Dumbledore was wide eyed at her speed and agility, but he stood pressed onward, as he cast more spells at her that she didn't recognise. She cut through them with the sword and blocked them with ease, pushing forwards into a more opportune position for attack, until the Imperious Curse burst through her shield, hitting her, causing her to drop to the ground. An invader in her mind, slashing at her Occlumency shields.

Dumbledore was smirking, the smug look of apparent victory in his twinkling eyes, as he was attacking her Occlumency shields with gusto using the Imperious curse when suddenly her blue Aura exploded outward, scorching the ground beneath her and setting fire to wooden objects that were too close. Dumbledore stepped back in shock as he watched his instruments and various glass objects around the room shatter. Grace groaned out in pain, the castle beneath them shuddering in submission to the raw outburst of her power, then her Aura disappeared and she vanished from the spot.

.

Back in the present, Grace looked down at the spot on the ground which was still scorched and frowned, there were various objects around the room which were still smashed and lots of burnt surfaces. She was furious, as she looked over to the old smirking headmaster infront of her, seemingly unaffected by Neville's outburst. "Regardless Mr. Longbottom, you have no proof I did anything." He smirked, as Harry felt the room heat up as Neville shook in fury. Harry just smirked, as did Dumbledore. "On to other matters for which is obviously the purpose of your visit. For the vicious pranking of Miss Parkinson, and Messrs Malfoy and Weasley," He said, looking not disappointed but happy. "You will be required…"

"To do nothing..." Harry growled back, interrupting the man, making him look wide eyed. "You are having me investigated for the Murder of Cedric Diggory, you make the worst bullies at this school prefects, who are already making the first years lives hell, because they're pathetic examples of people, not unlike you… and you attempted to control Grace… twice… yet you have the audacity to think you can attempt to punish us?" Harry finished, unchecked fury on the faces of all the students, and the Deputy Headmistress.

"No. You deserve nothing but a slow death." Neville said darkly shocking the old man and McGonagall. Neville drew his sword from his hidden sheath. "I've told you before, so has Harry. Leave… Us… ALONE!" He roared as his blue aura flared for a second in his anger, Grace joined, him. Sword out, but she launched at Dumbledore as his eyes were now wide, as were all the others in the room, the others were in shock knowing the planning phase of their murder of the old man still hadn't been completed.

Grace felt her blade touch the old man's chest through the beard. Then in a squawk and a flash he was gone. Fawkes had grabbed him and vanished with the headmaster. Moments before Grace could impale him.

The rest of the group were in shock. As Grace let forth a scream of anger and power, a shockwave burst forth. Harry and Ginny put up a protective dome around the group windlessly before it hit the others. The remaining objects in Dumbledore's office shattered under her anger, the walls and floor had spider-webbed cracks emanating from her position. Before she collapsed onto her knees in tears. Neville rushed forward to comfort her.

"I-I couldn't stop him…" She sobbed into Neville's arms. "As powerful as I am, he attacked me like Malfoy… and I couldn't stop him… Another wizard attacked me and I couldn't stop him…" she cried herself out in Neville's arms as McGonagall too sobbed. For it had just occurred to Minerva just how much damage Malfoy had done to the poor young woman's mental health and just how fragile she still was, even years later. And Dumbledore goes ahead and reaffirms the fact that she can be attacked by a wizard at any time. 'Harry is correct in his thinking', she thought to herself 'Dumbledore is just as bad as any Death Eater or Voldemort.'

* * *

Quidditch tryouts had begun, and Gryffindor was now looking for a keeper to replace Oliver Wood who had graduated at the end of Harry's third Year, as well as a new Chaser to replace Alicia Spinnet who had quit the team to focus on her NEWTS. Angelina Johnson was captain, and was becoming more and more nervous at the prospect of finding a new keeper.

Ginny was a shoe-in for the chaser position having played last year for Angelina while she was out due to injury. She bested the others with ease, as Harry just stood there watching her fly. In all honesty, he found watching her fly almost as thrilling as being in the air himself… Almost. Angelina gave Ginny the position on the spot, having outstripped the competition easily.

The keeper position was a harder one to fill. Cormac McLaggan, Dean Thomas, and to their dismay Ronald Weasley were the only ones to attempt a tryout. Ginny and Katie were vicious to all three of them, feinting and shooting, using manoeuvres they knew all too well to attempt to get past the keeper hopefuls. Angelina was on the ground with Harry watching.

"I know you all have a history with Ron, but if he is the best I'm picking him." Angelina said forcefully to the team, "can you two live with that?" Obviously meaning Harry and Ginny.

"Yes." Harry said, offering no more than necessary.

But it was not to be. Cormac McLaggan was the best man for the job that day, having saved the most goals out of the group. Ron stalked off angry as did Dean Thomas. The team was now in a semi-circle around Angelina as she was discussing training and practices for the first match, which would be against Ravenclaw. Harry noticed Cormac leering at Ginny, who was standing next to Harry holding his hand. She must have noticed too because she simply squeezed Harry's hand, whose eyes never left the boy. Cormac's eyes never left Ginny, looking her up and down, slowing as he passed her chest.

A spike of anger rose in Harry's chest, but he quelled it with memories of what he and Ginny had done just hours before training. A smirk rose on his face at the memories, and desire for his wife crept through his emotions, which Ginny felt, snaking an arm around his back pinching his bum. ' _Behave Harry.'_ Harry's smirk became a grin which Cormac noticed and frowned.

After practice had ended Harry and Ginny walked slowly back to the school, enjoying the fresh air and free time they had together. "Weasley!" They heard from behind them. Harry growled lightly, recognising the voice as that belonging to McLaggan. "Hey! Weasley wait up!" He shouted again as he caught up to them. "Why didn't you wait up for me?" he asked Ginny, reaching out to touch her arm, Harry felt a vicious wanting to cut the hand off but Ginny turned so he couldn't touch him.

"Because my name is Potter… Ginny Potter." Ginny spat through clenched teeth. "I thought I made that clear last year when I said I was married."

"Yeah, but you're only 15…" McLaggan said, "You can't take that seriously, you need to get out there and date, I would like to take you to Hogsmeade."

"Not on your life." Ginny said wide eyed, her temper fraying very quickly. "If you know what's good for you, you will leave me alone… now…" A spark or two crackling from her skin that Harry saw, unfortunately for them, McLaggan didn't and remained defiant.

Harry looked at his wife who was now becoming flushed in the face as she got more furious. _'Merlin she is gorgeous when she's angry… as long as it's not at me.'  
'Harrrryyy… I'm trying to get McLaggan to leave me alone and you're thinking things to me like that?'_ Harry heard her respond to him as her face went redder.

"Why should I…" McLaggan said as he attempted to step closer, Harry however silently forced him to remain still with his magic, not wanting the sleazy filth any closer to his wife. "Word is, Potter is going to prison soon for murder, probably even get pushed through the veil. Making you an available woman."

Ginny just looked at McLaggan wide eyed. "You… Even if he did go to prison, which he won't I won't be dating ever again… Let alone want to be anywhere near you… so how about you piss off." Ginny said as she then pulled her wand out _"Vespertilio Salivarius"_ Slimy bats made their way out of McLaggan's nose and started attacking his face.

"Where did you learn that one?" Harry asked cautiously, not wanting that spell used on him as he watched McLaggan ran off swatting the Bat Bogeys away from his face.

"Bill taught me when I was younger, I used to use it on Ron all the time…" Ginny said with a chuckle. "They would be gone by the time he got to mum to dob on me, but I still used to get punished for it… Even if there was no evidence."

Harry's eyes snapped back to his wife. "What were your punishments?"

"Not as severe as yours I'd wager…" Ginny said with a sigh. "I used to get the whip charm on me from mum… it never left a permanent mark, but it still hurt like hell." Harry pulled her into a sidelong hug, she just leaned her head on his shoulder as they Shadow Stepped back to their room, cuddling infront of their fire for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

The group was surprised that there was no real side effects from Dumbledore missing. They were in wonderment, talking multiple times about how they thought that Umbridge would try to find a way to weasel in, in an attempt to take the school by force.

However they were pleased to learn that Professor McGonagall had taken the school over smoothly. Knowing the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders who wrote the school charter seemed to have paid off, as she, being the deputy Head, was the only person who could fill the position of Head of Hogwarts in the interim. Professor Turner was required to take over the Gryffindor Head of House duties in the meantime as McGonagall would be unable to perform both roles.

Umbridge however did not let the matter go so easily. She quickly drafted up a bill, giving herself increased powers and a new position of High Overseer of Hogwarts. With the evacuation of Dumbledore, the Wizengamot and Board of Governors agreed to it. They were concerned that having him vanish from the school was an act of foul play.

.

Halloween came through quickly, and for once Harry was glad that nothing happened yet to make his life any worse. It seemed like almost every Haloween since he started Hogwarts, something bad happened directly relating to him, making his life harder in some form. First Year there was the Troll, where he and Ron had to save Hermione from it while he was under the Imperious Curse. In his second year the 'Heir of Slytherin' struck for the first time, in his fourth, his name came out of the Tri-Wizard Cup, however he remembered that he and Ginny had made love for the first time that night, and thought that had made up for the entire tournament.

The day did not start badly. Harry first had Defence against the Dark Arts, where Professor Turner was being overseen and evaluated by Umbridge. She was constantly berating the class, attempting to take control, calling on Harry to come to the front of the class where he would be required to perform tricks for the class like a zoo animal.

Harry refused multiple times, costing his house in total around 100 points, much to the disdain of the rest of the Gryffindor's in his class.

What Harry found even more disturbing, was that every time Hermione spoke, Professor Turner would stare at her before he quickly averted his gaze. They were once again requested to remain after class for a private word with the Professor.

Once Umbridge had been asked to leave by Turner as she had no bearing on their conversation, he addressed the group of powerful teens before him.

"I know…" He said vaguely.

"You know what, sir?" Ginny said with a raised eyebrow, saying what all the others were thinking.

"Hermione here, was the one who saved my life at Azkaban…" Turner said as the groups eyes widened before they all narrowed at him, however he continued anyway. "Harbinger and Interfector were not at Azkaban, they were elsewhere, which leads me to believe that was you two." He said to Harry and Ginny. "Neville, I have no doubt in my mind you were the other that was at Azkaban, but I find myself wondering why you weren't with him Grace…"

Harry stood and waved his hand around the room, causing an array of strong wards to spring into place, silencing, anti-portkey, Animagus and apparition, also shielding the room from attack, as the anything further said in the classroom could be severely damaging to all of the group, Turner included. "I want a wizard's vow…" Harry said darkly, causing Turner to flinch. "A vow stating you never have, will or intend to leak any information you learn from us to Voldemort." Harry's wands shot out of their holsters, "Now… or you will be Obliviated."

Turner quickly performed the vow, satisfying every condition Harry had and more. "I merely want to help you…" He said gently.

"Without being disrespectful sir…" Hermione said equally gently, "You know how we fight now, how we are virtually untouchable, how could you possibly help us?"

"I can assist you with your training." He said with a smile. "You see, I may have been an Auror for most of my adult life, but I have also trained heavily in Martial Arts. I am a Tae-Kwon-Do master, and hold Blackbelts in many other styles."

The group looked at him in a newfound respect. Very few wizards learned Muggle Style fighting, let alone mastering in it. They knew that it was rare for a wizard to get into hand-to-hand combat as they more often than not, sought to settle their conflicts with wands and vicious attacks of magic.

Seeing the impressed looks on the faces of the group before him, Turner continued. "You may be incredibly powerful, but I have no doubt that you fight, somehow enhancing your magic." He said with a smirk now at the groups eyes widening, knowing he had stumbled on the truth. "If you perfect your movements un-aided, I am certain that you would be faster, deadlier and more precise with any attack. Martial Arts also improves your stamina, something I found incredibly useful as an Auror… so what do you say."

"Sir," Harry spoke up, "May we have a moment to discuss between ourselves?" Turner nodded, Harry waved his hand and the group before him shimmered from view and seemed to go silent too. He just sat there dumbfounded as the group before him started talking quickly.

"It's a yes from me." Grace said quickly. "When I was in one of my orphanages, I saw a contest on TV of some form of Martial Arts fighting, I have no idea what it was. They were so fast and deadly that I couldn't see some of their moves. And they were definitely Muggles."

Neville nodded at his wife before he too spoke, "I am in too then."

"Gin?" Harry said.

"I think we should give him a chance." She said softly, deep in thought. "He seems genuine, and I think he wants to help us in any way he can after Hermione saved him from Azkaban, although I do find it worrying he managed to piece together that it was you, Hermione."

"I never synthesized my voice when I spoke to him." Hermione said softly, "It never occurred to me. Now I know it was a mistake it wont happen again. I also agree with you three however, I believe he is genuine."

"Then its unanimous." Harry said with a smirk as he again waved his hand. Turner almost jumped as the group of teenagers re-appeared before him, never having actually moved from their seats. "We accept your offer sir," Harry said as he stood and shook the man's hand. They then began to tell the man much more about themselves as a group.

* * *

Potions that afternoon was far more interesting than usual. Professor Flanagan was nothing if not actively hostile to Umbridge, who again saw fit to 'Oversee' another of Harry's classes. Harry had never seen Professor Flanagan this way before, it was a change from the normally happy man to see him scowling in disgust at the woman before him. Then he spoke darkly as Umbridge got too close to him. "Step back from me you Death Eater filth… Or it will be the last thing your pink wearing fat arse does."

Umbridge was shocked as she stood there, mouth agape for a moment. "How DARE YOU!" she shrieked. "I AM NOT A DEATH EATER!" She stared at Harry in fury.

"Don't look at him you pathetic excuse for a human…" Flanagan said with fury. "I have a memory!" He roared, wand now drawn, "you used the Cruciatus on my wife in the last war several times. I swore to her I would find and destroy the people who did that to her!"

"Your wife was a filthy half-breed!" Umbridge exclaimed, almost sweetly yet a little shrilly as she too drew her wand. "She got what was coming to her! The Dark Lord was controlling all of us, ensuring a perfect and pure future." Flanagan's eyes narrowed, he didn't respond, not gratifying the sycophant's ranting with a response.

The class watched on now with bated breath. Actively waiting for the first person to throw a curse. However none came, Umbridge was slowly edging toward the door. Harry smirked and wandlessly shut the door softly and locked it. Umbridge backed into it as Flanagan stalked forward. He pressed his wand to her neck as he said quietly, "I will not kill you infront of children, but if you ever approach me again… even infront of them, I will ensure you can never cast another spell you evil bitch." He then cast a reductor curse on the door behind her, blowing it to pieces, before performing a perfect roundhouse kick, launching her out the door.

Flanagan turned around and looked at his class, and appeared to deflate. Some of the class were in shock, others were just smiling at him. Harry was wearing a dark expression, ' _Yet another person who has been affected by Voldemort and his Death Nibblers.'  
'Poor man…'_ Ginny thought sadly in return

Ginny walked up to Professor Flanagan and rubbed his back gingerly, she whispered to him, "I am so sorry you have to see her every day. It must take a lot of self-control not to kill her on the spot."

Flanagan smiled at the young witch before him who he had no doubt understood what it was like to be affected by war. "Yes, well my wife still needs me. She didn't die, she was injured badly, the curse affected some of her nerve control, but she is still a capable woman and she still loves me, so I can't go rushing off to Azkaban can I?… Mrs. Potter, may I see you and your friends after class? I wish to have a brief chat I will not keep you long." Ginny nodded and left for her desk, taking his change of topic as her dismissal from the conversation

.

"Potters, Longbottoms and Granger." Flanagan said with a smirk. "Tuner tells me he will assist you in your training." The group was a little shocked that Flanagan was so forth coming, even more shocked that he knew about them. "Colin and I have been the best of friends for many years, he told me of his suspicions, and I believed him to be correct immediately. You lot are easily capable of anything you set your mind to. Colin will train you well, I also have a proposition for you." Flanagan said with a smirk.

* * *

Harry was exhausted as he sat down for the Halloween Feast in the Great Hall. Not only had Professor Turner found them out, but he had also told Professor Flanagan about his suspicions. The group were offered more training in potion, advanced healing, rejuvenation and strengthening potions that would assist them in combat if they were ever wounded.

Professor Flanagan made the wizards vow for Harry without even being asked, Harry had always liked and trusted the professor and was not even tempted to ask him to perform the vow. But the fact that he did it anyway of his own accord, spoke volumes for the man's character.

Not only did Flanagan offer them additional Potions training, he also vouched for Turner, having said that he had been training under him for some time. He believed it would do the man some good to have fresh blood to train. He had been getting a little rusty himself, as they only sparred occasionally.

While they were in discussion with Professor Flanagan about the types of potions they would be making Harry had a stroke of genius that was quickly backed up by Ginny. He had offered the Potions Professor ingredients from the Basilisk he had killed in his second year that was no doubt decomposing down in the chamber of secrets.

The Professor was thrilled, he even explained that as basilisks were magical creatures, their hide was so tough, their venom so strong, and blood so powerful, it took decades for a basilisk to even begin decomposing. He and the group before him then made plans to harvest whatever they could from the Basilisk, as there were many powerful potions that could be made from each ingredient, which were little known as Basilisks themselves were so rare that it was unheard of to be able to procure the ingredients.

As Harry was broken from his reverie by the feast appearing before him he quickly selected many different types of meats and vegetables before tucking in heartily. He looked around the Great Hall while he ate. It was decorated the same as the previous years. Suddenly he noticed a flock of owls making their way into the hall, dropping what could only be a special evening edition of the Daily Prophet.

Hedwig landed infront of Harry. He petted her softly, "Hey girl, long time no see." He said with a smirk as she hooted softly in his hand. Ginny removed the paper gently from Hedwig.

"HOLY SHIT!" Ginny said next to Harry startling him as the others too looked up, to see the Headline that had caused Ginny's outburst.

 _ **Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Assassinated in Office.**_

"HOLY SHIT!" Harry repeated.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6. Threachery**

It was a Dark Overcast night as Severus Snape strode into the Nott Manor in which the Dark Lord was recovering from his ordeal, caused by the bastard Potter. He had spent the last few months buried deep in research, attempting to restore the Dark Lord to his full potential.

The week previous he was provided an idea, he would attempt the resurrection potion again with the blood of another enemy. He doubted Potter would allow himself to be trapped and bled again, so he laid the foundations for another.

Today it appeared that his plan was bearing fruit as Bellatrix was awaiting him.

"Severus… We have it." Bellatrix crowed, she made Snape's skin crawl at times, but she had her uses. As he looked her up and down he remembered some of those uses from his months at their current hideout.

"Good." Snape responded as he strode past her, "Come, the Dark Lord awaits us."

They strode through the large and lavishly decorated ancestral home of the Nott's, heading for the Dungeon where their master awaited them. "Severus, Bellatrix, I hope that your arrivals bring good news." Voldemort hissed. Even though his body had fully restored he was in constant pain, something he would not share with his followers, for it would almost certainly be leaked to his enemies.

"Indeed, my Lord," Severus said as he knelt before the now fully healed man. Legs and arms, repaired from the damage Potter wrought, but his magic was still lacking, as he saw from the Cruciatus curse that was used on a few of his followers throughout the past months. Snape broke off his thoughts and resumed his conversation. "I believe we should attempt the ritual immediately. We have all the Ingredients, and there are no ill side effects if it doesn't work milord."

"True Severus? With the exception of the cost we discussed earlier?" Snape shook his head, Voldemort smiled, "then let us begin." Voldemort said as he rose from his seat, making his way over to the cauldron. Snape began work immediately, "Bellatrix, summon Goyle for me will you?"

"Of course my lord," The crazed woman crooned in the delight of serving her master, as she practically glided up the steps, returning almost immediately with Gregory Goyle Sr. who looked alarmed but willing.

"Goyle, you are a most trustworthy servant." Voldemort said with faux pride in his pathetic follower, who relished in what he thought was genuine affection from his master.

"Yes, milord, I live to serve."

"Goyle, we are making a potion to restore my power to what it should be, had Potter not interfered, it requires flesh of the servant given willingly," Voldemort instructed. "You being one of my most trusted servants, I give this honour to you. Do this for me and you shall be rewarded..."

Goyle paled, but was strong in his resolve at serving his master, much like a house elf. "Yes my lord it shall be done."

"It is time my lord," Snape said as he was stirring the cauldron.

Voldemort nodded and stepped inside, the potion bubbled and he dissolved into it. Pain screamed throughout his body as he dissolved inside, but he did not make a sound as he sunk slowly into the mixture.

Snape sprang into action, with the revised instructions for the potion and spell combined that should work on restoring the Dark Lord to full power, "Bone of the Father, unknowingly given, you shall renew your son." There was a thud in the potion as another bone of Tom Riddle was dropped inside by Bellatrix. "Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will _restore_ your master." Snape said as he gestured to Goyle, who with a flash and squeal of pain chopped off his left hand and dropped it into the cauldron. He tended his wounds as Snape continued with his amended version of the potion. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you shall _repair_ your foe." Bellatrix then dripped the blood of Cornelius Fudge into the cauldron. "Container of the Soul, willingly Sacrificed, Let the will of the Dark Lord be done," Snape said as he removed a Golden Cup from the shelf behind him and dropped it into the mix…

* * *

 **Approx 24 Hours before potion creation.**

Cornelius Fudge was sitting in his office reviewing a revised version of the Muggle Protection act that Arthur Weasley had once again submitted after his failed attempt 3 years ago. It was good, not only did it ensure that muggles rights would be upheld, but it ensured Muggleborns had a support system in place for when they began schooling at Hogwarts, teaching them the economics of the wizarding world and much about the Ministry of Magic, many things they would indeed miss out on as they were not raised in a magical home. 'This could only be a good thing,' Cornelius thought to himself.

Previously Fudge would have disagreed with a bill like this, around 3 years ago to be frank. But lately, especially with the influence Harry and Ginevra Potter were having on him, he was beginning to think himself on the trail of redemption.

Fudge was eager to prove himself a leader to the powerful teens, they appeared to be leaders in their own right. He felt they disapproved of his previous actions, the damage he and Lucius Malfoy had caused the wizarding world was not irreparable, but its repair was slow going.

There was a loud single knock on his door, actually more of a thud, as he was shook from his daydreams. "Enter" He called out reflexively, the door swung inward revealing a bloodsoaked Bellatrix Lestrange, twirling a dagger, and many others in white-masks. Behind her were the bodies of his secretary, his protective detail and some of the heads of other Departments. "No!" Fudge shouted as he stood behind his desk and reached for his wand.

Bellatrix was faster however, there was a lightning quick flash of silver and he felt pain in his chest, it was white-hot. Fudge looked down and he saw a silver handled knife protruding from him. "No…" he breathed again. He had not fixed the damage he had caused to the wizarding world, he had not made amends for his actions. He needed more time. These thoughts flashed through his consciousness as he sunk to his knees, his vision darkening, blackness encroaching from the edges.

Bellatrix swayed her hips seductively as she made her way forward to the man who had sunken to his knees behind his desk. Fudge looked at her in disgust as she placed a foot to his shoulder and wrenched the knife from his chest, with a loud squelching, sucking noise. She scraped the blood that was on the dagger into a vial, as he fell backwards to the ground. Bellatrix straddled his hips to watch the life drain from his eyes, blood surging from the wound in his chest. Fudge wanted to reach for his wand, to kill her in return, for that is what she had undoubtedly done to him, but he couldn't move his arms. It felt as if the Hogwarts Express had parked itself on top of them, his breathing was becoming labored, and he was becoming sleepy. Pain surging throughout his body, that he could barely feel.

As blackness filled his vision he saw his life flashing before his eyes, the pain he'd caused, the lives he'd ruined, the muggle women he had raped and tortured with those he knew now to be Death Eaters. He could no longer see as he wept weakly, feeling true remorse for the lives he had ruined. His last thought remained on his wife and children. He hoped beyond hope that Harry Potter could save them and the rest of the world, for he knew now that he-who-must-not-be-named must have indeed returned, and it was only people as powerful as the Potters felt, that could save the world.

He let out one last shuddering breath and knew no more.

* * *

 **Approx 8 Hours before Potion Creation.**

 _ **Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Assassinated in Office.**_

 _The wizarding community is now reeling from the loss of their esteemed Minister of Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge. The Dark Mark was cast over the Ministry of Magic late last night, causing uproar from the community, as it was at first thought to be a prank. It is suspected that the breakouts from Azkaban earlier in the year, who were convicted Death Eaters, and are listed on pg. 3 are the offenders of this horrendous act._

 _The current serving Minister was found in his office late last night by Head Auror Rufus Scrimegeour. Who was called back in to office, but was delayed in his attendance. He was quoted to say that multiple serving members of the Ministry and the personal guard of the Minister also perished last night, it is suspected he too was intended to be a victim. Further details on pg.3._

 _As the community awaits to elect a new minister, the late Minister Fudge's newly appointed second in command, and Department of Magical Law Enforcement Head, Amelia Bones, will accept the role of Minister of Magic in the Interim. Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, would have been named, but she is currently indisposed with her current role as Hogwarts High Overseer._

" _It is a tragic loss we have faced today, we will investigate and find the ones responsible. I will do my best to lead the Magical Community through this trying time, until we can be assured that the New Minister of Magic can perform the job to the same high standard that Cornelius showed towards the end of his career." Amelia Bones was quoted during her acceptance speech for interim Minister of Magic._

 _For as much loss that we have suffered today, we can only hope that our future remains bright, we expect an election for the next Minister to be held in late January, nominations will take place next week. More information on Pg 3._

Harry and Ginny sat there, wordless after their initial outburst, reading the paper, until Hermione coughed. An expectant look on her face. "It wasn't us Hermione…" Harry said blankly.

"I know. What I asked was who do YOU think it was?"

"Death Eaters," Ginny breathed. Harry and Ginny were in shock, they still needed Fudge to overturn some of the old archaic laws like the law that prohibited Muggleborns from the Wizengamot. _'Harry this is bad…'  
'I know love…'_

Harry was cut off by an indignant screech from Umbridge who was pale with rage, as she tore the paper she was reading in half and looked around the hall, as if daring someone to approach her.

' _Well, it appears she had nothing to do with it.'_ Harry thought, _'Voldemort must not want her in a position of power, he has other plans for her I suppose.'  
'Voldemort would want someone in place to take over, do you think we can tell who his lackey would be if we were to attend the campaign events?'  
'Good idea love, we will have to scout them all out.'  
_ _'Yes, then we can take them out or sabotage them if needed.'_

Harry and Ginny would fill the rest of the group in on their plan later, however for now they stood and made their way to their own private quarters, seeking some time for themselves. Some time where they could simply be themselves, be with each other and relax, thinking on how to approach the situation that was now in front of them.

* * *

 **Present Time.**

Bellatrix had added the final ingredient to her master's renewal potion. Severus Snape was stirring frantically, and Goyle Sr. was tending to his handless arm, having willingly sacrificed it for his Dark Lord's return.

Sparks of power were now dancing around the room as it crackled violently, the potion before them now surrounded by a deep purple glow, touched with blackness that no light seemed to escape. Once the potion completed, the energy surrounding the cauldron exploded outward with tremendous force, but left them all standing, as the Dark Lord Voldemort levitated above the cauldron. He however no longer looked like a human snake, he appeared to be a normal man, quite aged, but also looking youthful and rejuvenated, the only exception to his new look were his eyes, they were bright red and appeared to glow, however they no longer held the appearance of a snake's. Voldemort continued levitating for a moment before he glided forward and set his feet upon the ground. Snape stepped forward with a new robe, Voldemort simply held out his arms as Snape placed the robe upon the new man. It was trimmed in black and green, He was then handed a new wand, made especially for him.

Voldemort looked down upon himself. His skin no longer held the grey hue that it did previously, and he felt strong. Incredibly so. He looked around the room and his servants looked at him in hope and awe. With a wave of his new wand, a full length mirror appeared in front of him, he smiled as he observed his new body. "You have outdone yourself again Severus." The fully restored Tom Riddle said to Snape, no longer in a hiss, but in a delicate human voice he remembered.

Snape bowed in reverence at his master, for this was the man he took the Dark Mark for. "Milord, I simply live to serve." Snape said, still facing the floor.

"Arise Severus, we have a few tasks to accomplish before our plan can be brought to fruition." Voldemort said as he waved his wand, Goyle's hand quickly regrew, not of silver, but of flesh and blood and bone, as a testament to Voldemort's restored power.

.

Hundreds of miles away, Harry and Ginny were startled awake in the middle of that night by a wave of power, washing over them. It felt dark… evil. The pair unconsciously sought the other as they felt out with their magical perception, but they could only feel each other. However they felt more than heard, a maniacal cackle of laughter, as the dark power slowly dissipated. They looked at each other in worry as they sat there, on edge, not wanting to return to sleep feeling as though something was creeping upon them.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore paced the borrowed house he had commandeered, the occupants had been 'persuaded' to leave the country on an extended holiday whilst he stayed, using the home as his own personal base of operations for the Order of the Phoenix, which he now excluded Minerva McGonagall from as he suspected her betrayal to the Potters.

The man now standing before him, he trusted with his life, even if others did not. "Albus, your idea to amend the potion worked, The Dark Lord has been restored... " Snape said with a gleam in his eye. "He sends his thanks."

Albus Dumbledore nodded, Voldemort would need to be at his full power for his plans for Harry to succeed. The boy was strong, but he needed to realise that he needed his old Headmaster before he could defeat him, he needed his mentors. "Indeed Severus, I felt the power from here, no doubt others did too. And what did he say of the boy?" Albus said stopping his pacing, now stroking his beard.

"Ah, that he was most curious about, but I managed to convince him it could work to his favour, he said that his people are now working alongside yours to create evidence against him." Snape said with a sneer, "Potter will be brought in, and tried for Murder. There will be no room for doubt, he will be found guilty."

"There can be no room to err Severus." Dumbledore said, resuming his pacing of the room. "Harry must be brought in, and I must be the one to rescue him, for he is the only one who can save the wizarding world."

Snape nodded, making his way to the door. "Be sure to hold up your end also Albus, the Dark Lord will not be so kind as to forgive me if I cannot deliver, the man needs to be there as instructed, the test must go ahead as planned."

"Alas Severus, as much as it pains me I feel it must be done also… For the greater good. He will be in place, as the Dark Lord has requested," Dumbledore said sadly, the gleam in his eye now gone.

Snape nodded and left the home, leaving Dumbledore alone with only Fawkes and his thoughts. He could not trust Voldemort, but he could be used where possible for his own favour. He would however need to be as cautious as possible. Working only from the Shadows until necessary.

The spell and potion he had given Severus, did as expected, restore Voldemort to his full power, but it had a side effect that the man would not know until it was too late. His Horcruxes were used in the process, restoring his soul to his body, but Voldemort and not even Snape could learn this, otherwise the war could immediately turn dire. He was quite fortunate to come across the spell himself, for the sacrifice of one of the Horcruxes, linked to all. Voldemort may be more powerful, but he was now Mortal.

Cornelius' passing was a tragic, albeit necessary one. Harry was manipulating him and by extension the Wizarding world against the natural fabric and prejudices of that have been in place since the birth of Hogwarts herself. Too much change from the existing ways and the people could revolt. No… it was necessary that he stop Harry's manipulations before he caused and permanent damage to the existing way of life. Using the blood of the serving Minister in the Restoration potion was also his idea.

People could not be shown the light without the darkness, there must always be a darkness for people to flee from. Without that there would only be chaos, and Albus was determined not to allow chaos to reign while he still drew breath.

Even with his brief encounter with death, Dumbledore still thought Grace and Neville Longbottom to not be of any threat. His purpose now rested on drawing Harry, and by extension Ginevra closer to him, and locating more information on the characters known only as Harbinger and Interfector, and their followers. He would require all of them to be faithful and loyal followers for his next plan to work.

Fawkes looked at Dumbledore and trilled sadly.

* * *

Harry, Ginny, Neville, Grace and Hermione were all crowded around a piece of Parchment the next morning during a somber breakfast, the others had felt the wave of Dark power, but none had any cluse as to what caused it. The note they received was from Professor Turner.

 _Greetings._

 _We will begin our training this evening, please be in the Defence against the Dark Arts Classroom by 8pm sharp. Bring only yourselves and your wands._

 _Prof. C. Turner._

"This should be interesting." Neville said, wearing a thoughtful expression.

"It will be good," Harry said with a smirk, Ginny nodding following his train of thought. "If he's as good as Flanagan says, then he should be able to teach us a lot."

That day's classes proved to be a crawl for the group. With minimal house point losses in Umbridge's class for lack of attentiveness, they made it through the day in relatively good spirits. With all that was happening in the Wizarding World, it was good to have something to focus on again, outside of their own personal training.

At 7:55pm the group stood outside the classroom, wearing their battle robes and wands in holsters. Professor Turner opened the door with a snap, "Good evening, please come inside." They made their way in the room which was cleared of all desks, Professor Flanagan stood in the centre of the room, wearing the same white outfit that Turner was wearing but his black belt didn't have as many golden stripes. There were padded mats covering the floor and black outfits with white belts in the corner in various sizes. "Please change into your GI. I have labelled them for you, return to the centre of the room when you have done so."

The group quickly made their way into the corner, removing their robes quickly and donning their assigned GI. Harry looked down and saw H. Potter, embroidered on his chest, Ginny had G. Potter on hers, causing a smirk to creep onto Harry's face. He enjoyed small reminders like that, proving that Ginny was his wife. She caught his look and his feelings, returning them and smiling back. Giving him a light peck on the cheek.

"You shall call me Colin while we are here, and I shall refer to you with your first names also. Kevin will be assisting me in teaching you some of the moves, but he is also here to train." The Professor then led them through various exercises and warmup routines. The group was far fitter than Colin expected so he decided to change his training schedule.

"I would like to see how you fight... without magic," Colin said wearing a smirk, Kevin looked at him in surprise which was quickly schooled back into his normally impassive look. "We will spar one by one. Neville, if you wouldn't mind I would like to test you first. Everyone else please take a seat off to the side."

First they bowed, then the fight began, Neville was a flurry of movement, striking where he could, throwing kicks and blocking, performing far better than Harry remembered he had when they were being taught by Nicholas and Perenelle. Then to Harry's surprise, Colin had kicked Neville in the side, struck him in the chest with and open palm, then quickly ducking down and kicking his legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground placing his hand on the boy's chest.

"Better than I expected, worse than I'd hoped." Colin said with a smirk. "You are fast, but woefully inaccurate, Neville." Neville hung his head dejectedly, "Don't be down about it, you are far superior to many I have taught before. It will not be long before you can master your speed and accuracy in one." Neville then looked hopeful at the praise in their instructor's speech. "Please be seated, you are here to learn."

Neville nodded and made his way back to his wife's side who pecked him on the lips and whispered something to him that Harry couldn't hear.

"Ginny…" Colin said drawing the redhead witches attention. "Would you please fight Kevin? No holding back, he won't." Colin said as he took a seat on the floor on the other side of the room, while Kevin and Ginny squared off.

' _Good luck love.'_ Harry thought to his wife as she was readying herself.  
 _'Thanks'_ She thought back flashing him a smirk, causing Colin to look at Harry in wonderment.

Ginny and Kevin bowed before they circled each other then struck. Kevin's first kick hit nothing but air as Ginny side stepped it. She was gauging his speed, avoiding blocking where necessary, as the man continued his attack. Ginny, even un-aided by her magic and robes, was a blur of motion. Harry smiled as he saw her ducking and weaving, all the while Kevin was getting more and more flustered and aggressive, angered by the fact he couldn't hit her.

Ginny then began her assault, first striking with a foot that connected with the Professor's leg, before ducking under his guard and putting 3 strikes into his midsection, then stepping back, turning on her back foot while jumping, kicking the man in the chest with a spin kick which knocked him flat on his back. "HOLD!" Colin yelled out. "Ginny are you using magic to speed yourself up?" Colin asked with a frown.

"No sir," Ginny said shaking her head, tucking the hair that had shaken loose from her ponytail behind her ear, a small act like that had Harry biting his lip. He loved her hair being reminded of flowing fire, he was already struggling with himself having watched her fighting. She was graceful and agile, her movements in combat were amazingly enticing and he found he enjoyed watching her immensely. He shook himself, noticing Ginny's blush, as she picked up on his errant emotions.

"Sir if I may," Harry stood.

"No explanation necessary Harry…" Colin said, cutting Harry off before he could start. "I was just making sure."

"Blimey…" Kevin said as he stood. "I haven't had my arse handed to me that badly in years." He smirked at Ginny, offering her his hand which she shook graciously.

Harry then fought Kevin, while Grace and Hermione fought Colin. Harry lost as did Hermione, but Grace took down Colin.

"All right, I think we have figured out where your strengths and weaknesses lie." Colin said standing before the group pacing back and forth before stopping. "Harry and Neville. You two are quick, but your accuracy is lacking. You put a lot of power behind your attacks which is good, but when you miss you tend to overreach leaving yourselves open. Ginny and Grace, your speed and accuracy is flawless, but your blows are lacking real power, your fights are lasting longer than they should because you aren't causing enough damage with your strikes. We can work on that. Hermione, your form is good, as is your accuracy and power, but we need to work on your speed as you are too predictable, you tend to overthink your moves."

The group took the criticism in stride, after working with Colin and Kevin into the late hours of the morning they time-turned as a group to get some well-deserved rest. Colin had used his ministry contacts to appropriate some time-turners for himself and Kevin, allowing them to train themselves as hard as the rest of the group.

As much as Harry wanted Ginny at the end of training, he couldn't physically bring himself to do anything, neither could she as she crawled onto a now lying Harry and dropped into a deep sleep in his embrace almost immediately.

None of them trained the next morning.

The next evening Harry and Ginny arrived in the office of Professor Flanagan with Harry carrying a crate, it was obviously shrunken down. Flanagan raised an eyebrow when Harry returned it to normal size. The crate was incredibly large, easily the size of two office desks pushed together and held various compartments. Ginny and Professor Flanagan stood back as Harry opened the crate revealing hundreds of Vials of Basilisk venom, sheet upon sheet of basilisk hide, bone, fangs and organs, all preserved as the Potions Professor had instructed. There would be nothing left in the Chamber of Secrets, for every part of the enormous snake had its uses.

"There are many things that can be made with these ingredients," Professor Flanagan said with a smile, "We should invest in making everything we can with it. It's rare and highly sought after." Harry just nodded, Professor Flanagan including himself in the use of the Basilisk ingredients irked him slightly, but he ignored it. The Potions Professor deserved some payment for the knowledge in the use of the ingredients. "I think we are lucky that the example you disposed of Harry, was so large," Harry nodded again, remembering killing it. Harvesting it was fairly easy with the use of the Glaives which were magically sharp and stronger than anything he had encountered so far.

Ginny shuddered, having gone into the Chamber with Harry for the first time in years. The Basilisk was as large as she remembered, but as long as she was with Harry, she felt safe and powerful in her own right. "Sir, what can be made?" Ginny asked, now very curious that one of the banes of her existence all those years ago could now aid them.

"Weapons, Wands, Potions, armour... you name it." Flanagan said with a smile.

"What potions can be made?" Harry asked, curious as to what could possibly use the ingredients from something as dangerous as the Basilisk.

"There are elixirs, some enhancing strength and speed for a period of time." Flanagan started, as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. "There is also a healing elixir that can be made with it, called simply the Elixir of Life. It will restore strength to the body of the user, even one who is perilously close to death. I should also be able to make a rare recovery elixir that will help in battle. Once you are worn out physically you can take the potion, and it will restore your physical strength and stamina to that of a well rested person. I will gather the books while you are on Holiday and we will get started as soon as you return."

Harry and Ginny were exceptionally happy and excited, with the ingredients from the Basilisk, they would be able to make many deadly items, and even elixirs that would assist in their recovery and battles. They would study and visit weapons and armour vendors over the holidays to ensure that they could create some interesting gear.

"Would it be best if we kept the materials with us for now Professor?" Ginny asked, worried that they may be stolen from the castle. Flanagan nodded and the pair made a quick trip to Potter Island to store the ingredients safely until they were required.

* * *

"On the Ravenclaw team, your captain Rodger Davies, then there's Stretton, Burrow, Inglebee, Samuels, Page and Chang!" Lee Jordan yelled with his amplified voice. The crowd roared as the Ravenclaw team flew out of the tunnel onto the pitch, circling once before landing.

"Alright guys and girls, play fair… play to win!" Angelina said as they all put their hands in the centre of their circle and yelled "GYFFINDOR!" as a team.

"For the Red and Gold, captained by the beautiful Angelina Johnson, my she is getting better and better looking as she gets older…"

"Jordan!" McGonagall yelled indignantly at him.

"Sorry Professor, where was I, ah yes…" Lee continued, "We have Johnson, Bell, Potter, Weasley, Weasley, McLaggen and Potter!" The crowd again roared, but Gryffindor was by far the loudest as they caused a commotion below.

The team landed, opposite Ravenclaw. Cho was glaring at Harry, whose eyes narrowed in return. As Madame Hooch blew her whistle, both teams were off like shots out of Cannons. "And both Potters are fastest into the air, not surprising when they both have Firebolts, but the redheaded Potter definitely is the more fun one to watch on a broom." Harry heard Lee say, he laughed in agreement as Professor McGonagall again chided him for his lewd commentary.

Harry was circling the pitch, watching the match, and searching for the Snitch at the same time. After a while in the air the crowd gasped as Harry saw Cho dive, he looked ahead of her and was about to take off when he saw her look over at him, he smirked and continued his search for the snitch. Cho would never have looked at him if she was hot on the trail of the snitch, a rookie mistake.

Harry caught himself watching Ginny again, albeit momentarily who herself had already scored 3 goals. Putting Gryffindor in the lead 50-10. He reluctantly dragged his eyes away from her and continued his search. He was flying lazily around the pitch when he saw one of the Ravenclaw Beaters aim a bludger at him. Harry performed a roll, but he didn't see the bludger perform a large arc, coming around and slamming into his shoulder. Causing him to groan in pain, the bludger continued on its path. Harry shook himself and looked around, there was no beater behind him, so he assumed it was a different bludger on another trajectory.

His shoulder wasn't injured badly or dislocated, so Harry continued his search for the snitch. _'Are you okay Harry?'  
'Yeah Gin, wasn't paying attention is all'  
'Maybe you should keep your eyes on the match and off my bum?'  
_Harry blushed at Ginny's comment before giving her a wink as she flew by causing her to giggle.

The match continued for a while longer before Harry heard a commotion behind him and looked around, he saw the Gryffindor goal posts had been abandoned, Cormac McLaggen had the Beaters bat and was yelling at George Weasley who was yelling back trying to get the bat back. A bludger flew at McLaggen who swung the bat, in such a way that reminded him of someone flailing in panic, as the bludger connected with the bat and shot toward Harry.

Angered by the idiot below him, rather than dodge the bludger he held out his hand pushing magic into his muscles and bones, with a loud crack he caught it, but he felt his arm break with the impact. Healing it quickly and wandlessly he flew down to a shocked McLaggen, jerking the bat out of his grasp almost unseating him from his broom.

"And Potter has caught the… Bludger?" Jordan shouted, as much of the crowd and the players turned to see what was happening.

"Get back to your goal or I'll beat you over the head with it." Harry growled at McLaggen, while wielding the bat. A thoroughly scared McLaggen quickly flew off. "Here." Harry said simply as he thrust the bat to George, who was grinning widely, then held the struggling bludger out, George swung and connected just as Harry let go of the bludger, it connected with a Ravenclaw player who was using the distraction to try and score.

Due to McLaggen leaving the goals though, Gryffindor were now trailing 90-110.

As Harry turned he quickly saw a glimpse of gold, then blue as Cho streaked past, Harry shot after her, catching her quickly on his far superior Firebolt. The snitch climbed into the air, as Harry and Cho chased after it, hot on its tail. Without warning it quickly shot downward, and Harry found himself in a steep dive, arm out reaching for the snitch, now ahead of Cho, having a better turning arc on his broom.

" _IMPEDIMENTA!"_ Cho screeched out from behind him as Harry's Firebolt was ripped out from underneath him, his inertia carrying him forward as his broom was slowed by the spell. Unfazed Harry straightened himself as he picked up speed, gravity aiding him. Cho looked on in horror, as Harry neared the snitch, his broom now forgotten.

Harry reached, stretching out, and then he felt the snitch brush against his glove as he closed his hand around it.

.

Ginny had the Quaffle when she saw Harry falling from the sky, no broom in sight. She stopped in shock, as did others they saw him catch the snitch, Ginny immediately dropped the Quaffle and streaked across the pitch, urging her broom forward as fast as she could. But she wasn't fast enough, as Harry was nearing the ground.

As Ginny was about to Shadow Step, she saw Harry twist and draw his wand pointing it now at the ground, he then let forth a huge blasting hex, which caused a massive depression in the ground, soil and rock shooting upward from the edges of the depression. The shockwave slowed him down enough and caused enough debris to shoot up around him, that he used the Shadow Step to remove the last of his inertia, landing gently on the ground. Ginny landed next to him as he summoned his Firebolt.

"Harry…" Ginny said as a tear tracked down her cheek, she leapt at him, knocking him back a step.

"I'm sorry I scared you love." Harry said as he pulled her close. Kissing her softly on the brow as she held onto him tightly.

The rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team came rushing over, with the exception of McLaggen who looked on in disappointment. Harry's eyes met his and he quickly used Legilimency on him.

'Cho said she could get rid of him… but neither her bludger nor mine hurt him… then she removed his broom… and he's still uninjured… How am I going to get Weasley away from him when he can't be hurt?'

Harry growled lightly and relayed what he heard from McLaggen to Ginny. She growled protectively squeezing herself deeper into Harry's embrace, as they saw McGonagall rushing over to them.

"Potter what happened?" She said, flustered.

"Chang and McLaggen were attempting to injure me…" Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Some half-cocked attempt to get Ginny away from me… I think Cho wants me severely hurt, or dead for what happened to Cedric."

"I shall deal with this, I assume you have proof of McLaggen's involvement?" Harry shook his head, and the elderly witch took off in anger.

Harry and the others made their way back to the Gryffindor common room, with the twins shouting "Party in the common room!"

The party lasted well into the evening, Harry was approached by many who were glad he was alright, happy that he was able to save himself from the fall. Many were awed with his catch of the bludger. The twins constantly teased him about it, saying that he thought the bludger was a big dirty snitch, which drew a lot of laughs throughout the evening. Harry noticed Hermione and George were rather close and quiet during the party. Something that made him smirk.

Harry and Ginny retired rather early in the evening, celebrating the win in their own way.

The next morning breakfast was a relaxed affair, it was a Sunday and the school was enjoying their breakfast in dribs and drabs. When majority of the school were in the Great Hall Professor McGonagall stood before them, commanding their attention.

"Good Morning, I will be brief and let you enjoy this lovely day." McGonagall said with a smirk before it was quickly replaced with a frown. "Yesterday a student deliberately attempted to injure another by use of the Impedimenta spell... and other methods. By mutual agreement with their parents, their head of house, and myself it has been decided that Miss Chang will no longer be attending Hogwarts. She has transferred to Beauxbatons effective immediately."

The occupants of the Great Hall exploded into chatter, the loudest being the Ravenclaws who were glaring at Harry and Ginny in indignation. Harry just ignored them, staying quiet. Ginny sought his hand in comfort, he removed his hand from hers and wound an arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

"I urge you all to think on this, heed the actions of yesterday as a warning, attacking another student will result in the most severe of outcomes. Now head out and enjoy this lovely day." She finished as she took her seat again at the head table, looking around the Hall expectantly.

Angelina called attention to the Gryffindor Quidditch team members table, stating that she would be organising for tryouts of a replacement keeper after the holidays, she would not have McLaggen back on the team after his display in the previous match.

Harry smiled, he would no longer have to deal with McLaggen's leering at Ginny, during Quidditch at least.

* * *

The Christmas Holidays snuck up on the group rather quickly, as they soon found themselves on the Hogwarts Express headed for home. Harry and Ginny would be staying at the Potter Manor, so they could enjoy their Holiday's with Sirius, Remus and anyone else who cared to join them.

Neville and Grace would be spending some of the Holiday at his Grandmothers, and the last week at the Potter Manor. Hermione and her Parents were going to be visiting relatives, so Hermione would see them again on the Hogwarts Express in the New Year. She had invited George Weasley along, who accepted, being of age he decided he wouldn't need to inform his mother and was intending on spending the whole Holidays with her.

The group spent the train ride chattering and spending time with their loved ones. They weren't interrupted by any student they had no desire to speak to, much to their content.

.

The group stepped off the train, Harry and Ginny were immediately assaulted by hugs from Sirius and Remus.

"PUP!" Sirius said with a large grin, "It feels like it's been ages!" Remus just grinned and pulled them in tightly. They were happy that the couple would be spending time with them throughout the Holiday.

As they made their way to Potter Manor, Sirius was telling them that Amelia sightings at home were becoming few and far between as she had been spending a large amount of time working through the information Fudge had left behind. Some of it was missing, as the Death Eaters had looted his office and made away with important law draftings. Luckily she had been able to contact the known drafters and managed to get copies.

With the group of Girls gone, Remus had been working on a business plan for a new tavern to be opened up either in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. It would be friendly to all magical creatures and wizards alike. Harry and Ginny thought the idea was brilliant, Harry and Ginny secretly agreed to silently fund his plan.

"So…" Remus began once they sat down in the sitting room in front of the Portrait of Harry's parents. "You said in one of your letters that you may have made some new potential allies?"

"Oh yeah." Harry replied with a grin, "Professors Colin Turner and Kevin Flanagan. Turner is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and an ex Auror. He found out about us because Hermione let her voice be heard when she saved his life in Azkaban. Flanagan found out through observation and through Turner."

"Are they trustworthy?" Sirius asked, now worried about his Godson's wellbeing.

"Yeah," Ginny replied, "And even if they weren't, we had them perform a wizards vow."

"At least you're still being careful." Remus smiled openly.

"Turner has been teaching us Tae-Kwon-Do, he is a master of the art." Harry said excitedly. "He has us increasing our speed, power and accuracy so we can be more effective in hand to hand combat. Flanagan has us brewing potions we wouldn't normally hear about."

"Sounds like you lot have your work cut out for you." Remus said with a smile.

"Yeah." Ginny said with a sigh, "It's been hard work. We have actually put our regular training on hold for the Martial Arts and Potions training. They are incredibly useful and we want to get all the knowledge we can from them, while we can."

"A sound plan." Lily spoke up from the portrait. "If you need any help with Charms, I can work you into my busy schedule." She said with a large grin causing the group to laugh. She continued once the group's mirth had died down. "When I was alive, I was studying Charms for a mastery. I know a great deal, even as a portrait."

Harry and Ginny were excited to hear that they would be able to learn even more about charms. Lily had them tell her about whatever they knew so she could gauge where they were at, she was happy to tell them that they were incredibly advanced and she could teach them all she knew within the few weeks before they returned to school.

"Harry, Ginny, we also have something to tell you that you won't like." Sirius said softly. "Dumbledore has been running the Order from a muggle house. I can't tell you where, because it's under a Fidelius." Sirius hung his head lightly then lifted looking them in the eye. "He is hiding something, he's had members of the Order camped out at the Ministry, outside of the Department of Mysteries for the last few weeks. All we know is we are guarding something Voldemort didn't have last time."

"But one person isn't going to stop a group of Death Eaters…" Harry mused aloud, "What could he have you guarding?"

"I think it may be the Prophecy…" Remus said. "The Prophecy room is in the Department of Mysteries, and Voldemort only knows the first line, the line about you, the one Snape fed him that sent him after you, Lily and James." Remus continued sadly, "He doesn't know about Ginny, the mentors or the meddler."

"That would make sense," James said looking down upon the sombre group. "But Prophecies can only be touched by someone who it was made about, or an unspeakable who is authorised to access it. No one knows who is authorised, as unspeakables don't use their real names."

The group nodded as they absorbed James' words while they thought on all they had talked about. When they retired for the evening, the feeling of melancholy still hung in the air, as they tried to figure out what Dumbledore and Voldemort would do. Harry and Ginny both agreed that they were now definitely fighting a war on two fronts.

* * *

Snape watched his master in his work, he had informed him that the Order of the Phoenix was protecting the prophecy, and that they were working in rotating shifts over the holiday period. Voldemort was pleased with the news, as his newest inner circle recruit stepped forward.

Severus Snape felt pride in his Godson as the boy stepped forward, kneeling before his new master.

"Draco…" Voldemort said silkily, his new body inspired more fear than his old as all his followers cowed before him. "You have your task set before you, if you perform it to perfection, as you should, you shall be rewarded, if not…" he then flicked his wand to Pansy Parkinson who, for the 5th time that night shrieked in pain.

Snape knew Parkinson was to be punished, she had failed to bring in Potter's wife, she had reported that it was impossible to track the Potter's movements and they were rarely alone.

"Leave us Draco…" Voldemort instructed, through Pansy's shrieks. After Draco left only then did he lift his wand. "Now Pansy, do you wish to redeem yourself?" Pansy slowly rolled over and kneeled before her master.

"Yes milord, I wish to serve."

"Utilise Umbridge to get the girl alone." He said simply, nodding to the woman in pink who was smiling through Pansy's shrieks. "She will assist you with your task, however if you fail me again… _CRUCIO!"_ Voldemort shouted, and the pain of the verbal spell was far more severe, as Pansy passed out from the pain.

Draco was wearing an unusually large grin as he left the Dark Lord's chambers. His plan was in place, and he would have his revenge.

* * *

Arthur Weasley sat in his assigned position at the Ministry of Magic. It was Christmas eve and he was assigned guard duty for the evening by Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. At times he questioned Dumbledore's motives. If the object that they were guarding was so useful to Voldemort, would it not be more prudent to move it, steal it or destroy it? No one guard could stop an attack from Voldemort or his Death Eaters directly.

That had been proven to him during the Summer, he was lucky however that the Vigilante's showed and saved his remaining family from the Death Eaters. However it ended with him and his wife being homeless. If it wasn't for Sirius Black being in the Order, they would have had to live in the crater that was left, as of now they were living in Grimmauld Place, and they were saving to re-build the Burrow. It would be years before its completion, and it would have to be built much smaller.

His Wife's attitude of late had been deteriorating, Molly had been working in a Muggle Restaurant, she hated the job, however the restaurant owners loved her as she was able to perform the work of 3. Little did they know she was using magic.

Arthur's thoughts returned to the article in front of him. It sported a picture of his 15 year old daughter and her husband. She looked deliriously happy and incredibly beautiful and mature. He couldn't believe it had been 3 years since he had seen her last. He was truly regretful of Molly's actions, organising for a betrothal and wedding to take place at the tender age of 14. He was even more regretful of his inaction, that to him, was more unforgivable than Molly. He had found out through another that Ginny had submitted to have the name Molly removed from her name, which had been approved.

"Ginny," he sighed as she stroked the picture of the girls face in the paper. He remembered how happy he was when she was born, and the scowl on Molly's face. He never understood why she didn't want a girl. He thought it may have had something to do with the fact that she was teased for being overweight by many during her time at Hogwarts. But that didn't make sense, as the poor thing was hated as soon as she came into the world. Arthur nursed and fed Ginny, as Molly refused to feed her and only really took care of Ron. It was only when Arthur had to return to work that she actually fed the child.

Arthur was shocked from his musings by the shuffling of feet and rustle of robes. " _Lumos"_ He said softly raising his wand, pointing it up the hall to the entrance of the Department of Mysteries. "Who's there?" arthur said shakily.

"The end." Someone drawled, " _Sectumsempra!"_

In his shock Arthur Weasley was too slow to raise his shield, and the spell struck him in the chest. He dropped to the ground, slashes appearing on his torso as though he was slashed at by a sword. Arthur gurgled slightly as he struggled for breath as a pale blonde haired boy stood over him with a smirk.

"Merry Christmas Potter." Draco said with a smirk as he turned.

* * *

 **A/N:** Work has been incredibly busy having come back from the New Year, so i have had to try to write in chunks whenever I had the time. For those following the story and have been waiting patiently for an update, I apologise for the delay.

One reviewer has stated that Glaives as I have depicted in this story cannot be used by dual wielding. The glaives i drew my inspiration from are not traditional glaives, but a cross between the Warglaives of Azzinoth from Warcraft, and the cyber Dryad Glaives from AQW, with Ginny's being green and Harry having a red version. I realise now i could have been more descriptive with it. If you do a google image search, you should be able to see a clear picture of what i meant.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: At long last the next chapter is ready. I have had a Beta Reader/Editor sign himself up to help me. A massive thanks to **tomtom312** for his excellent suggestions and grammar corrections. With his help you all, the readers, should see a massive improvement in story flow and grammar.

I would like to apologise to all of you readers and followers for the time it took for this chapter to make it to final copy. I have been incredibly busy with work since the new year, and it has held me back quite a bit, ontop of that, I have had to travel 5+ hours to sites for the week, and being away from my family means I focus on them during the weekends.

Work appears to be slowing down, meaning Tom and I should be able to get the next chapter to you all much sooner. Big thanks to all the reviewers.

On with the show!

* * *

 **Chapter 7. Live and let Die.**

Harry and Ginny woke early on Christmas, smiles on their faces as the held each other in the cool of the morning, keeping each other warm in the large four poster of the master bedroom in Potter Manor. The sunlight was washing over the pair of them, causing Ginny's hair to glow like a fan of fire around her, giving Harry the undeniable desire to stroke it softly, which he was only too happy to give in to, as Ginny leaned into his touch.

"Good Morning Mrs. Potter," Harry said softly, as he continued his soft stroking of her lightly freckled creamy skin, and the silk of her hair. "I love waking up beside you in the morning, holding you in my arms." Ginny just looked back at him with shining eyes, as Harry leaned in and kissed her softly, both of them feeling nothing but love for the other through the bond, feeding their passion and lust for each other.

She returned the kiss equally as soft, as they slowly became more passionate, their hands softly roaming over each other's bodies as they caressed gently. Ginny removed her nightgown, which was the only piece of material separating her from her husband, as Harry removed his boxers, the only piece keeping him from her. As they lay on their sides, their legs entwined gently as they drew each other closer. Allowing each other full access to the other, they slowly embraced their desires and made slow, passionate love with the other.

* * *

Harry was working away in the kitchen, making Breakfast for Sirius who wasn't up yet and Ginny, who was taking a shower, when Remus flooed in.

"Hey Remus," Harry said cheerfully without turning around, causing the werewolf to Grimace. "Take a seat, breakfast will be ready in a moment, and I'll go get Sirius up."

"Where's Ginny?" Remus asked softly, his voice shaky, causing Harry concern who turned around to see his friend looking rather tired and haggard.

"She's taking a shower…" Harry said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "What's happened?" Harry asked cautiously, sensing apprehension from the Werewolf before him.

"I have something I have to tell the both of you. it's bad news…" Remus looked down to the floor, rather crestfallen.

' _Gin, you need to come down here as soon as you can.'_ Harry thought to her, worried about why Remus asked specifically about Ginny, and why he was acting so morose. The morning had started off so beautifully, and Harry was excited to give Ginny her Christmas gift.  
' _I won't be a moment love, what's the matter?'_ Ginny thought back.  
 _'I don't know yet love, but Remus says it's bad.'_

Ginny hurriedly dressed and Shadow Stepped to Harry's side causing Remus to jump in his chair slightly. Sirius had made his way downstairs too, having smelled breakfast was now made.

"Guys." Remus said gently, "There is no easy way to say this so I'll just spit it out." Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead then turned to Ginny, his face appearing scrunched up in pain. "Your Father was killed last night at the Ministry of Magic." There was a sharp intake of breath from Ginny, Harry felt she was sad, but not as sad as he thought she would be. "He was on guard, and he was murdered, it was an advanced version of the cutting curse." Remus said softly.

"Snape is with the Dark Wankers full time now, so he could have taught anyone that spell," Harry said sombrely as he drew Ginny in close, she accepted his hug and allowed herself to draw comfort from him. "Are you okay love?" Harry whispered, looking down to meet Ginny's glassy eyes, a tear threatening to spill.

"The man never stood up to my mother, even through the worst of it." She said softly, "But he always made sure I was cared for, fed and clothed. He used to read me bedtime stories, mostly the ones about you that I asked for." Tears began to spill down Ginny's face now at the recollection of her father's love for her. "I know he loved me and we grew quite far apart as my mother got worse. The betrothal she wanted to set up was the final straw, especially because he was going along with it… but he was still my father, no matter how much I hate him for going along with that bitch, I still loved him." She whispered at the end as she hugged into Harry, tears spilling onto Harry's shirt as he held her close.

"It's okay Gin, let it out." She cried for some time before she managed to gather herself and turn back to Remus. She still used Harry for support though.

"The funeral will be at the Burrow in a few days." Remus said softly.

"But it's gone…" Ginny said softly.

"Arthur began rebuilding it before he passed." Remus said gently again. "Molly thinks that he would like to be buried there, as it was his home and the place where he was happiest."

Ginny just nodded and cuddled back into Harry.

Sirius just looked sadly at the pair. They had lost so much, including their childhoods because of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Sirius was hurting, watching the pair seek comfort for one another. These two had been the sole cause of his freedom, and now they were hurting. The pair he had begun to think of as his own children were hurting. "Why don't the two of you go up to your room, I'll bring breakfast up shortly. Remus, a word?" Harry nodded to him and Remus followed Sirius into the sitting room.

"What aren't you telling them Remus? What else was there?" Sirius said succinctly after the two had taken their seats in the room.

Remus hung his head dejectedly, "Well you know how Amelia is beefing up security while she has the Authority?" Sirius nodded, his Girlfriend had been out late and had been leaving early for the last month, he hated that he was getting less and less time with her. She had promised him she wouldn't run for office, she didn't want the extra work that came with the position. She wanted a family of her own, not more work. Money wasn't an issue as the Black family was very wealthy, therefore there was no real reason for her to work so hard. But this was a conversation the two would have to have later. "Well… I was speaking to her earlier in her office…" Remus continued. "She said the phone booth recorded Lucius Malfoy stating his name and mission."

"But Harry killed him…" Sirius said softly, remembering the vivid memory they all viewed of Harry driving the blade of one of his large red Glaives through Lucius' chest.

"Yes he did… She thinks it was Draco, but they can't find him for questioning. He now has a warrant for his arrest." Remus finished.

"We have to tell Harry." Sirius said, "He has a way of finding out this shit and he'll be more pissed if we don't tell him and keep it from him." Remus nodded.

Sirius stood and went back to the kitchen to finish the breakfast Harry had prepared for them before Remus broke the news to them all. They were both surprised when Harry came back down the stairs alone. "She cried herself to sleep." Harry said softly, as he looked between the two he felt they were hiding something from him but he wouldn't use Legilimency on his friends, so he decided to be vocal. "So, what else did you have to say?"

"Told you." Sirius said with a smug grin, which quickly turned serious again as he faced Harry. "Lucius Malfoy was recorded as the one to enter the Ministry before Arthur died."

"Imposs… Fuck… He really is as stupid as he acts…" Harry mused aloud with a grimace. "How did that fool ever make it into Slytherin… Unless it's a baited trap… If he wants me to go after him… But if I spring it before it's fully set…" Harry then turned to Sirius. "I know with the Black Law, the Aurors keep a list of known and suspect Death Eater addresses and coordinates…" Harry said darkly. "I want them."

"Harry…" Remus said softly, "You can't…"

"My wife is hurting because of these bastards. I'm going to hurt them back. Sirius?" Harry said darkly.

"They hurt my Daughter, and by extension my Son." Sirius said to Remus, shocking both him and Harry. "Harry you can have them on one condition… I join you."

Harry smiled at his Godfather and nodded. "One condition in return, you follow my lead. If I say run you run and don't look back... are we clear?"

"Crystal." Sirius said with the biggest grin he'd had in days. As he ran upstairs to get changed, he had to see Amelia and quickly explain what he wanted for Harry. He knew she would give them to him, as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement she had briefings on all current and previously known Death Eaters.

* * *

"Love," Sirius said softly as he held his girlfriend's hand in the Ministry Atrium. They knew the Minister's Office was bugged due to a warning from Harry, they figured the busiest place in the building was the safest for a conversation like this. "I am here on behalf of Harry."

"I figured as much, he wants to retaliate?" Amelia said softly so that no one could possibly hear. "What does he intend to do?"

"Do you really want to know?" Sirius said with a raised eyebrow. Amelia smiled and shook her head.

"It'll be good to have a few less dark tossers to worry about," Amelia said with a smile, she then waved her hand around the ministry. "This is insane, I always thought myself as a career woman, the title Minister of Magic was one that I thought I wanted. But after being in office for as little as I have so far… I want none of it, a nice quiet family life for me I think." She said as she smiled up at him.

Sirius smirked down at his Girlfriend… Girlfriend… he would have to change that soon. Amelia tilted her head toward her offices as she then led Sirius to go get the file for the investigation he wanted.

As the pair walked away, a man only known to the Death Eaters as the Watcher looked on worriedly. It seemed that Amelia Bones and her boyfriend Sirius Black had a very serious conversation in the middle of the Ministry Atrium, a conversation he couldn't get close enough to, to eavesdrop. He would have to report this back to his handler. It seemed the current interim Minister either knew that the office was bugged, was being extra cautious due to the sensitivity of the information she was passing, or it was simply a private moment between her and her boyfriend, either way, the Dark Lord would want to know about it.

* * *

Sirius flooed in from the Ministry to find Harry, Ginny and Remus sitting in the sitting room, talking to James and Lily Potter.

"Sirius would remember." James said suddenly. "When my father died, Sirius, was very upset. You see my father treated him more like a son than his own father did, was it an odd feeling when your own father died Sirius?" James asked gently, for James' standards it was rather tactful. But Lily was still unimpressed.

"Ginny here is worried that she doesn't feel enough grief for the loss of her father." Lily said with a smirk toward the younger redhead. "Perhaps you could impart some of your own knowledge on the matter Sirius?"

Sirius smiled at the portrait of his friends, knowing that they meant well, and they didn't really want to dredge up the dark feelings he associated with his father. "I had a far worse relationship with my father than you would have with yours Ginny." Sirius said with a smirk. "He was an arsehole. It'd be like asking Harry if he felt bad that the Dursleys died."

Harry looked up smiling for a moment. But then frowned once he realised he was being used as an example. "You see." Sirius said with a chuckle. "But it isn't odd that you feel less sad than someone who was much closer with their parents Ginny." Sirius finished.

"Wow." Remus said.

"I know." Lily said in a fake awed whisper. "It's like Amelia told him what to say."

"Oh shut it you two, I can string more than two words together." Sirius said, crossing his arms and lifting his nose in the air in a huff.

"Well look at that." Lily said, "He can! That was a whole 13. Well done." She said as she burst into laughter. The others followed, but they noticed that Harry and Ginny's laughter didn't quite reach their eyes.

"Alright you lot," Sirius said, "Lunch then we will talk about this." He then waved the thick file Amelia had given him. Amelia didn't say much to him in the office, but Sirius was quite pleased with what happened in there, and anyone listening in would have been quite red in the face themselves. As he thought back to when he had Amelia laid out on her back on office desk a rather dopey grin covered his face.

Harry then snapped his fingers in front of Sirius' face. "Use too many of those big words mate?" Harry asked, causing the group to burst into laughter again.

"Come on smartarse, time to eat." Sirius said as he walked out of the room, they found a tray of cold cuts and fresh bread on the counter prepared for them by Milly.

"So what is this then?" Ginny said looking across the counter to the file that Sirius laid out.

"Suspect Death Eater locations." Sirius explained, as Ginny looked up with a large grin. "Harry thought we could strike back, we found out that Lucius Malfoy was the one to enter the Ministry last night." Sirius said rather gently, as Ginny looked confused for a moment.

"But… Oh that dumb little shit." Ginny then said through gritted teeth. "Why would he use a dead family member's name? Does he think he's being smart?"

"Yeah that's about where Harry got to before he asked for the file." Sirius retorted with a grin, "Draco is missing and has a warrant, Amelia just confirmed it, so we are going to comb through all the locations in here, and hopefully remove a few scumbags while we're at it."

The smile that covered Ginny's face was incredible, 'Who knew the thought of killing some Death Eaters would make her Christmas.' Sirius thought to himself. Christmas was already ruined by the Death Eaters, so they were going to take something back from them.

* * *

"Reuben Selwyn." Harry growled as they watched the house from the hills above. Harry and Ginny in their Battle Robes and Sirius in black robes with a shadowing charm over his face. "He was one of the ones that were at the graveyard last year."

Ginny and Sirius nodded. "There are a few in there." Ginny said in a quiet voice. Reaching out with their Magical Perception, Harry and Ginny both sensed at least 5 adults in the room. "You know Harry, Neville would love to be in on this. Especially for what the bastards did to his parents."

Harry nodded. "We're only scouting for the moment." He said turning to Ginny. "If we're going to hit them it needs to be very fast and targeted." It was now Ginny's turn to nod, but she also did so with a large smirk.

"So 5 here." Sirius said, "next stop." Harry grabbed Sirius by the shoulder and Shadow Stepped them all to the next house."

* * *

"Glad you four could join us." Harry said to Neville, Grace, Perenelle and Nicholas whom had all arrived at Potter Manor when called for. They were all rather excited to be, once again, taking the fight to the enemy. Harry then stood and went over the plan for the evening, gesturing to the files and drawn up plans on the coffee table of the sitting room. "Tonight we are striking back with overwhelming force." Neville and Grace smirked up at him. This would be Grace's first real mission: she was eager, but partnered with Neville, Harry hoped she wouldn't put herself at risk in an effort to prove herself to them all, especially after what had happened with Dumbledore.

The plan was simple. 2 strikes per team in succession on 6 households in total, they worked out they would wipe out a total of 20 Death Eaters, and at least 3 from Voldemort's ever so trusted inner circle.

After Harry's briefing, Nicholas came up to him for a quick word. "Harry, be safe, we need you alive and well. I am proud of you taking an active role in the retaliation against the death of someone of the light, even if it is a relative. Make them feel it, but don't be foolish. We are not taking revenge here, we are making them think twice."

"I understand Nicholas." Harry said with a smile as he put a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Be the better fighter, show no mercy for none shall be given. A dead enemy is one that can't stab you in the back."

Nicholas smiled at Harry, he was proud of the warrior he had forged him into. Harry was a weapon as Dumbledore believed, but Harry was his own weapon, and he needed to be treated as the man he was growing into.

"SIRIUS!" Someone yelled from the fireplace. Harry and Sirius immediately turned to see the head of Professor McGonagall in the fireplace. "The Death Eaters are attacking Hogsmeade, Please let your friends know too!" She said surreptitiously, obviously meaning Harry, Ginny and the others, but not putting it into so many words in case someone was listening in. Harry appreciated the caution his head of house showed.

"We're on our way!" Sirius yelled back.

"Quite the coincidence that one." Harry said as he pulled out his wands. The others around him followed suit. "Original plan is out the window for now, take no risks, you know what to do. Sirius, you can't Shadow Step so Nicholas will take you, stay around Nicholas and Perenelle please, and stay silent unless you need help." Nicholas and Perenelle nodded, allowing Harry to take control: he flourished in situations like this, and even Nicholas had to admit that in any of the wargames they played out in the Time-Room, Harry and Ginny always did better than he, therefore he would accept his command in situations like this without argument. The boy was a natural leader, and incredibly talented.

Sirius simply nodded, staying unusually silent. Harry got the feeling he was nervous but eager. "Remus, go join the Order, see what they want you to do." Remus nodded and left immediately.

"Remember, hit fast and hit hard. Shadow Step to the Shrieking Shack, move out from there, stay in your pairs," Harry finished. The others all nodded at him and they Shadow Stepped away.

* * *

Harry and Ginny appeared at the Shrieking Shack and immediately heard the screams and cries for help emanating from the town. The pair Shadow Stepped closer, appearing in the alleyway beside the Three Broomsticks. They sensed Neville and Grace appear up the street at Honeydukes, while Sirius, Nicholas and Perenelle all appeared at the Hogs Head. Harry pulled Ginny to him, gave her a quick yet loving kiss and pulled his hood over, wands flicking into Glaives as he used the magically enhanced blades to cut through the side of the Three Broomsticks stepping inside to see Madam Rosmerta at the mercy of 3 Death Eaters, while another 2 were rounding up the others inside.

As Harbinger and Interfector walked through the hole in the wall, courtesy of themselves, they were met by the crazed eyes of Barty Crouch Jr, the man who had been returned to Azkaban by Ginny, although he didn't know that it was she in the room.

The pair were quick and precise as they cut through the 5 Death Eaters in the room within seconds. Spells were cast at them, but their speed being enhanced caused them to be able to dodge all of them with relative ease. Not that they needed the enhancement. Crouch and the others didn't stand a chance.

.

Neville and Grace appeared at the top of the street, they watched carefully for a moment, not drawing attention to themselves as they saw that the Death Eaters were dragging people from their homes and setting the houses on fire, they knew the Death Eaters were going to torture the men and women in the streets and kidnap the children at the very least.

Ignoring the homes for the moment, the pair quietly Shadow Stepped behind the first 2 Death Eaters, where they both shot a powerful bludgeoning hex at their heads, Spraying a fine mist of brain matter against the walls of the burning building.

They then turned and saw that the Death Eaters had noticed them. There were 5 of them left, easy pickings for the pair if they were smart about their movements and cautious. One of the masked Death eaters cast a cutting curse at the pair before him, and as they saw a pair of blue Auras spring to life, the cutting curse dissipated against it, the pair sprang into action. The Death Eaters were wide eyed in shock, seeing the cutting curse hit home, but then have no effect.

Grace was a blur of motion, she leapt forwards, covering the few meters that separated them from the Death Eaters in under a second, reaching the first one she punched him repeatedly in the ribs then hit him with a wandless bludgeoning hex reinforcing an uppercut. Knowing he was downed, she turned to see the next one's wand levelled at her, as she stepped forward and grabbed it, snapping it with her own left hand while drawing her sword, and in one swift motion, she sliced through the man's abdomen. He fell to the ground unceremoniously in two parts.

As Grace leapt forward, Neville drew his sword and slashed the throat of one man in a single motion, spraying the next with blood, leaving him sputtering and twitching in shock. He cast a quick cutting curse at the leg of the third who had his wand pointed at Grace, causing him to recoil in agony and terror, whilst turning back to Neville, who then slammed his sword into the man's chest, straight through his heart, ensuring his demise. The blood soaked shocked Death Eater was wandlessly bound and Portkeyed to the Potter Manor cells so they could question him later.

Neville took Grace's hand after she had downed her second Death Eater, and they moved up the street to assist in a much larger battle that Sirius, Nicholas and Perenelle were fighting.

.

Sirius, Nicholas and Perenelle had appeared at the Hog's Head, only to immediately come under assault from a Death Eater who had been looking in their direction. Sirius put up a quick shield and launched a stunning spell back, closely followed by a reductor and a bludgeoning hex.

The result was rather remarkable as the Death Eater shielded the Stunner, only to have the shield broken by the reductor and then the bludgeoner hit his chest, breaking all of his ribs and causing his chest to collapse so he couldn't breathe.

Nicholas' group was facing out into the main street of Hogsmeade where there were numerous Death Eaters now attacking various homes and innocents. The townsfolk watched on in horror while they attempted to flee, as 3 robed and hooded figures began fighting their attackers with vigour. They were soon joined by another 2, and then finally a last pair with Red and Green Glaives.

The battle was horrific as the 7 cut through the enemies, blood and gore staining the snow around the town. Strange auras surrounding all of the pairs except for the lone figure who was fighting on his own.

When Grace had cut down the last remaining Death Eater, a disembodied cackling filled the town. Ginny immediately felt it cut through her like a knife as she remembered the voice of Tom Riddle from the Chamber before Harry got to her. _'Harry… It's Tom, he's here.'_ Harry immediately felt her apprehension and moved closer to her.

"You 7 fight well," The voice said, there was no hiss of Voldemort, but the silky smoothness of Tom from the Chamber, but aged Harry noted. "However you are foolish to fight against the might of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Join me and you shall know power unlike any before, join me and you shall be rewarded."

"Show yourself Tom Riddle, you pathetic coward." The voice of Harbinger called out throughout the town.

In a whirl of smoke and shadow, Tom Riddle appeared in front of the group. He looked as he did from the Diary, but as he should if he were to age 50 years.

"You dare mock Lord Voldemort!" Tom yelled, his voice now enhanced by power.

Harbinger and Interfector said nothing but crouched down ready for a fight. Voldemort waved his hand at the pair before him, causing a wave of snow and ice from the ground to launch at them as though it were an avalanche. Harbinger and Interfector both Shadow Stepped to where they sensed Voldemort to be on the other side of the snow, swiping at him with their glaives.

Voldemort simply held his hands up to block them, and to the shock of the pair, two ornately jewelled swords appeared in his hands, causing the Glaives to clang against them loudly. The power that emanated from the blows blew snow in every direction, leaving the ground bare beneath them in a circle approximately 20 feet across.

Harbinger wandlessly cast an explosive hex at the ground behind Voldemort, causing him to stumble forwards from the pressure wave, as Voldemort stumbled forwards Harbinger swiped a Glaive at the hand closest to him. Wide eyed, Voldemort, in another whirl of smoke, disappeared from the spot in front of them, re-appearing a few feet away. He dispelled one sword and drew a wand. He cast a Cruciatus curse at Interfector, against which she simply dodged to one side and Shadow Stepped behind Voldemort, unseen by him, he then turned to Harbinger.

"It appears your cowardly accomplice has left you." Voldemort taunted with a sneer. He then frowned when he got no reaction.

Harbinger stalked forwards in an attempt to keep Voldemort's attention on him. Calling his aura forth, stalking towards his prey, both Glaives by his sides, Golden light swirling around him in a sphere, sparks crackling to and fro within the red flame that surrounded him and swirled high into the sky above.

Voldemort stood wide eyed in shock and, to his loathing, fear at the sight before him. He then filled himself with hatred and cast a Cruciatus curse at the figure before him.

As Harbinger took the curse in stride, he was startled when the curse didn't dissipate against his aura but sailed through it and hit him. The effects of the spell hurt like hell, causing him to grit his teeth as he struggled to continue his movement forwards, feeding his fury for the man who had hurt his wife, killed his parents and taken his childhood from him. He was pleased when he felt the effects of the Cruciatus bleed off as his anger grew. The sparks surrounding him intensified, arcing off the ground beneath him as he stalked toward his enemy preparing to attack.

Voldemort's eyes widened again in shock as his Cruciatus curse did nothing to stop the forward momentum of the man in front of him. Red eyes boring into each other's Voldemort then let forth with a screech, " _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

Harbinger, since the Cruciatus curse got through his Aura, was not going to take any chances on the killing curse. As he flickered to the side with his Shadow Step, Interfector took that moment to strike. Appearing from the shadows, she Shadow Stepped directly behind Voldemort and thrust a Glaive forwards. Voldemort sensed her movement and began to side step, but he was too slow as the Glaive punctured through his abdomen and tore out the side as he finished his side step.

Voldemort screamed in pain as he then cast a stream of cutting curses at Interfector who deftly dodged them all, showing her true agility. Harbinger then Shadow Stepped forward and struck, Voldemort again sensed movement but this time was quicker as he thrust with his sword up into Harbinger's shoulder, missing his chest, and misjudging where the strike was coming from, Harbinger also hit Voldemort in the same shoulder that he was holding the sword, causing blood to spray from him across the ground and his grip on the hilt to falter.

Ginny saw Harry take the sword blow and saw red. She Shadow Stepped in close to Voldemort and let loose with a flurry of punches and kicks, some of them striking home, others missing. Ginny heard the crack of bone as she landed a kick which Voldemort attempted to block with his wand arm. She couldn't tell whether it was the wand or the arm, nor did she care.

Harry, bleeding profusely from his shoulder having stepped back and the sword dissipating after losing contact with Voldemort. He then saw Voldemort's wand arm flex at an odd angle as Voldemort screamed out in pain again, then taking that moment to strike with the glaive of his good arm, but Voldemort was too quick and the glaive only nicked his thigh. Injured, Harry over extended, causing him to stumble forward towards Ginny. Harry turned just as Voldemort let forth a wandless cutting curse and disappeared with a sneer in a swirl of Shadow and Smoke.

Not fast enough to get out of the way with Ginny, and already having his Aura up Harry stood there and took the curse for her, as it passed through his aura and hit inside the hood where his face would be. Ginny saw a spray of blood leave the hood and panicked. She grabbed Harry and Shadow Stepped to Potter Manor.

.

The others watched the furious battle in awe. The speed of the fight was intense; Harbinger, Interfector and Voldemort were blurs of motion. For a moment they just stood there, wondering if they should attack, but Neville, knowing they would have just gotten in the way, put the group to work putting out the fires of the houses and shops in the village. They then saw Harbinger take a cutting curse to the face, Voldemort disappear and Interfector grab Harbinger and Shadow Step away.

The Order of the Phoenix and Aurors Apparated in as the Anti-Apparition wards fell when Voldemort fled, so the Longbottoms, Flamels and Sirius all Shadow Stepped out, seeing help had arrived for the village.

* * *

Harry awoke, his head feeling like it had been speared by a rampaging Erumpent. He felt something warm and soft move beside him and through the bond felt Ginny. He felt worry and fear through the bond as she too woke.

' _Harry… You scared me…'_ Harry heard Ginny say in his head.  
' _I'm sorry Gin, something's happened. Voldemort is far more powerful than he was last year. He looks human again too…'  
'I noticed that myself. It seems he fixed whatever you did to him in that Graveyard.'  
'What happened? I remember taking that curse…'  
'You took it to the face you idiot!'_ Ginny practically screamed in his head, causing Harry to wince and grab at his throbbing skull. _'It could have decapitated you! You're just lucky that Milly and I were able to heal you… you lost a lot of blood, and the scar will be there forever…'_ Ginny thought to him sadly as she reached up to touch his face.  
 _'It dissipated slightly as it came through my Aura, it definitely would have killed me otherwise. I figured since I was able to take the Cruciatus rather effortlessly…'_

Harry began to sit up, but Ginny held a hand on his chest, not forcing him down, but showing him that she didn't want him to move yet. She shook her head at him. "Not now love…" She whispered, a touch of sadness to her voice. "You need to rest. You're still pretty banged up, your shoulder took a bit to repair and you lost a lot of blood… please rest… for me?"

Harry nodded and lay back on the bed, Ginny curled up into his side as they lay there in companionable silence for some time.

"I just don't know how he could get that powerful…" Harry thought out loud. Ginny just nodded into his side, both of them were fighting hard, not pulling their punches. "How long have I been out?" He asked, not sure if he wanted an answer.

"Almost 24 hours." Ginny said softly, cuddling into Harry's side again, her worry and happiness that he was now awake flooding through the bond to him, drowning out his feeling of melancholy. "You did lose a lot of blood." Harry just nodded. He was happy he wasn't out cold for too long, and he was fairly certain Ginny never left his side, her determination was always something that made him smile.

Sirius burst through the door into the bedroom, causing Harry and Ginny to jump. Harry gasped in pain and clutched his shoulder which was now throbbing from the quick movement. "See…" Ginny whispered as Harry nodded. "Sirius, what's wrong…" Ginny said as she took in the strange look on Sirius' face.

"We just had an Order meeting about Hogsmeade, Dumbledore was there…" Sirius said with a frown and a smile at the same time. "He said that he needs to speak to Harry as soon as he can… In person."

"Like hell." Ginny said softly.

"I think it's fairly important, he said what he has to say cannot be put into a letter, and only you with your Occlumency stand a chance of protecting such knowledge." Sirius said with a smile. "I reckon it has something to do with the Prophecy or why Voldemort looks human again." Sirius was grinning ear to ear at the revelation they may finally get some information out of the old man.

Remus entered the room too now, but wore a worried look. "How are you feeling Harry?"

"Fine, just a little stiff." Harry said and gently shrugged his shoulder to show Ginny he meant it.

"Okay then, I think we should visit Dumbledore." Remus said. "Whether it's the Prophecy and his take on it or why Voldemort is suddenly whole again, either way it could be useful information."

Harry nodded, then something hit him. "Wait… What did you say Remus? Whole again?"

' _Gin, do you think he absorbed the Horcruxes? Whole again?'  
'I don't know Harry, it's a bit of a stretch don't you think? I mean why would he sacrifice his Immortality?'  
'Remus is right, we need to talk to the old bastard. As much as we want to destroy him, we need to know what he thinks he does right now…' _Ginny just nodded in agreement.

The Longbottoms and Flamels, having heard the commotion upstairs had decided to enter the room too. "Harry!" Neville said with a smile, "Glad to see you awake mate, Ginny had us all worried, we thought she was going to go kill everyone on that list of yours."

Harry smiled and looked at Ginny, she looked slightly sheepish but on the whole, still defiant. "I'm glad she didn't." Harry whispered as he pulled her in close. "What did the Order and DMLE say about our defence of Hogsmeade, Sirius?"

"They were pleased it wasn't like the Burrow." Sirius said proudly. "However a lot of townsfolk are traumatised. We did almost literally paint the town red." He then looked down. "There were only a couple of Innocent life losses, and the Aurors are blaming us, even though it was the Death Eaters, but the Order was pleased we were able to react so quickly. McGonagall was practically beaming, I thought her face was going to split. I didn't think she could smile like that." Sirius said with a smirk.

"I think we should still do that retaliatory strike." Neville said seriously. "The defence of Hogsmeade would have shattered their resolve, showing them that they cannot just attack anything they want without consequence. If we tear them apart in their own homes… Well, they will be completely demoralised knowing we can get to them at any time."

The group all nodded, with the exception of Remus, who was in shock at how vicious and almost bloodthirsty Neville had become over the last few years. Gone was the quiet polite boy that he had taught during his third year, now he was replaced by this hardened warrior, with mind and skill of a master. He was also shocked by Grace's transformation. While she was never as shy as Neville, she always seemed to be lacking confidence. That was now replaced in her too, she stood tall and proud beside her husband, confident in her abilities and his.

Remus then looked at the cause for this transformation in the two, Harry and Ginny. Harry was always an enigma to Remus, from when he first met him till now, at times he seemed to be a normal teenager, but then at times like this, he was reminded that he hadn't been a boy since his mother died to save him. Ginny was a little easier to figure out, she was fiercely loyal to Harry, shared his values, and as they were soul-bound they seemingly had the same opinion too. Little did Remus know that everything that they agreed upon was talked about silently before it was announced aloud.

"With the attack in Hogsmeade, there will be a focus on the Vigilantes." Harry said softly, "I think we should perform our strike when school returns. That way we can use Time-Turners to create an alibi for ourselves, making sure we're in a public place during the attack, like Malfoy Manor."

The group nodded accepting this, they were pleased they would still be able to perform the retaliatory strike.

* * *

As Harry stood before the mirror, dressing himself for the funeral of Arthur Weasley, he observed himself; he was used to having scars, but this one would take some getting used to. Ginny had told him that the scar was cursed and couldn't be repaired.

The new scar was a thin, white line, which carried from his right brow across the bridge of his nose and down his left cheek, clipping the edge of his lips. Ginny had traced the line with her finger multiple times, saying she didn't mind it, and he felt no deception from her. But to him his face looked vastly different now with this new addition.

He decided he wouldn't use a glamour charm, and the pair would use the story of a Quidditch accident as cover. It didn't matter if anyone believed him or not, as there was no proof otherwise.

Ginny walked in and sighed, seeing Harry in his black dress robes. Harry felt the love and affection for him, and underlying sadness at the fact the event they were attending was in memory of her father whom she had been estranged from for years now.

Harry made sure to keep sending her his love through the bond and was always within arm's reach of her. As the pair Shadow Stepped to the outskirts of the newly built Burrow, they looked at the small house. Harry felt a slight pang of sadness from Ginny that this new family home did not and would never hold any truly happy memories for her. Even the previous house that the pair destroyed, it may have been the Family home, but Ginny had told Harry multiple times, her home was wherever he was.

Sighing, she grabbed Harry's hand and made her way to the front door of the house and knocked. They were greeted by a red eyed Bill Weasley. "Hey you two, come in. We are all in the backyard. The ceremony will be starting soon."

As the pair walked through the house into the backyard where a large amount of park tables and chairs had been conjured, they felt the eyes of 3 Weasleys in particular boring holes into them: Ron, Percy and Molly.

Harry and Ginny looked around, avoiding the eyes and confrontation with the three, and were confronted by the sight of the crater that they had created with the destruction of the old house. The new Burrow was built just off to the side of where the old house was: everything had been destroyed in the blast.

The twins, with Hermione sitting by George and Katie with Fred both stood to shake Harry's hand and hug Ginny. Charlie also greeted them sadly. There were members of the Ministry, Order of the Phoenix and many others Harry didn't know.

He spied Rita Skeeter moving through the crowd and kept an eye on her.

"Harry… What happened to you?" Hermione asked softly when she hugged him. Harry just blushed which made the scar stand out further.

"Later Hermione." Harry said softly and she nodded, knowing that he would tell her all about it.

As the group made their way up to the large temporary pavilion at the back of the property by the pond, Molly stopped them at the entrance. "Ginevra, you are no longer a Weasley, so you will stand at the back with Potter. We did not plan for you to be here. I personally didn't think you had the courage to attend."

Ginny was trembling in rage at the fact that Molly was being so dreadful at the funeral of her own father. Then she noticed the woman's face. It was pale, stained from tears and sunken. She then realised that her mother was hurting far more than she was. She didn't respond and turned to the side where she was directed with Harry right behind her, not acknowledging Molly at all.

' _Are you okay love?'_ Harry asked her, feeling some strange feelings through the bond.  
' _Yeah, just taking the high road with mother there. I think she was trying to get a rise out of me to kick me out .'_

Harry didn't respond. He put his arm around Ginny's shoulder and drew her in close to him. Kissing her on the top of the head. There was a flash of light and Harry reacted instantly with a wandless banishing spell, as Rita Skeeter and her press photographer were launched from the pavilion into the pond beyond. Raucous laughter erupted from the crowd at the sight, thankfully no one had saw that Harry was the cause of the incident.

As Amelia Bones began her eulogy, Harry started to look around, keeping Ginny tucked under his arm for support. "Arthur Weasley… He was not a rich man, but he was rich in the fact he had a loving family…" Amelia began as Harry tuned her out. Observing the crowd, he was trying to put names to faces.

Harry then saw the flash of sleek blonde hair moving through the crowd to a seat at the back. The hair was akin to what Draco Malfoy had, as he looked at the young man he saw some subtle differences, the eyes appeared to be a different colour, and the face shape was slightly different. But the thing that stood out the most was the fact that this person, unlike the others, was smiling, not looking sad or passive.

Harry reached out with his magical perception, he felt it, the Dark Mark adorned the wand arm of this person, it had to be Draco Malfoy. Harry faced the front of the room again so as not to draw suspicion. He didn't feel that the idiot had a portkey on him, he would keep one eye on him so he could later abduct him.

Harry then felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as though someone were looking at him. He looked around the room, trying to decipher who was staring at him.

Beside him, Ginny could barely keep herself in check. She had, through Harry, felt everything he had, and was listening to his thoughts now too, ignoring the rambling of some random co-worker of her father's who had now taken the stage to give his two knuts worth of what he thought the life of Arthur Weasley was.

Ginny decided to herself that it would be best if she were to keep one eye on Malfoy too. She too was also now looking around the room for the person who was making Harry feel edgy. Closing her eyes she put herself into a meditative state, this would work to her favour as she could appear as though she too was succumbing to the grief of her father.

Through her Magical Perception, she felt the Dark Mark of Draco Malfoy too, and there was another nearby him. A female, that would warrant following up later, but neither of these people were making eye contact with Harry, they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. It seemed as though Malfoy was here so as to gloat to himself about the fact he had finally killed someone with the Dark Lord's blessing. Either that or he was here on orders to see who turned up.

' _To our left Gin.'_ She heard in her head. She felt out in that direction and realised what Harry had sensed. Albus Dumbledore too was here, he felt different though.  
' _Polyjuice?'_ She replied, not truly knowing what he was using as a disguise, not having felt its effects before.  
 _'I think so love… You keep an eye on Malfoy, I have Dumbles.'_

Ginny replied with a mental nod and smirk. She secretly loved when Harry took charge, he could feel her love through the bond, but the reason beneath it she was able to keep to herself.

* * *

As the ceremony came to a close Harry and Ginny watched Dumbledore and Malfoy respectively, people were leaving in their own time and the entrance to the pavilion was a Bottleneck, so the pair waited off to the side. As Dumbledore approached Harry, they heard the sound of glass shattering indicating the breaking of the wards around the Burrow and a scream. An unnatural cold settled over them, and the pair immediately realised what was coming.

Harry and Ginny quickly burst through the side of the pavilion using a quick cutting curse and had their wands out in an instant. They saw that a group of Dementors and some Death Eaters had begun an attack.

The Death Eaters were paralysing people as they fled, allowing the Dementors to suck out their souls with no contest. Harry and Ginny's reactions were immediate. They cast their Patronuses, having their flaming wolves explode out of their wands, attacking the Dementors and shredding them. After they were taken care of, Ginny immediately looked around for Malfoy while Harry worked to incapacitate the Death Eaters. Harry wasn't going to kill out in the open with so many Ministry officials and Order members around to link him to Harbinger. The twins and Hermione did the same.

" _Portus."_ Came a quiet voice from behind Harry. He hadn't sensed the man approach him from behind and quickly turned around in shock. _"Incarcerous."_ Ropes conjured from the end of the man's wand and wrapped around Harry tightening, crushing his arms to his body. He didn't fight it, he was about to cast a wandless cutting curse to release himself when he felt a jerk from his Navel, and landed in a heap on the floor of a Muggle home.

' _Harry! What Happened?'_ Ginny thought to him in a panic. _  
'Dumbles got the drop on me…'_ Harry thought back dejectedly. He had thought he knew where Dumbledore was the whole time since the attack on the funeral. ' _I'm fine Gin, keep taking care of business there, then you can head over here.'_ Harry felt her acceptance and then looked at his captor, who was now levitating him over to the couch, sitting him upright.

The Polyjuice potion faded, causing Dumbledore to revert back to his normal self. "I apologise for the rudeness of our meeting Harry, but things are moving faster than I would like to admit."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his old headmaster, the man who had taken almost 2 years of his life from him.

"Harry do you know anything about the Vigilante's known as Harbinger and Interfector?" Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face. Harry felt a light probing of his Occlumency shields and made sure they were re-inforced, making sure his power was elevated so the old man couldn't so much as stun him. He wouldn't let Dumbledore in on that fact though.

"No… Why?"

"I am merely curious. You see Harry, those two are incredibly dangerous to the fight for the Wizarding World, they are an unknown quantity. I highly doubt that they are the bad guys as the Prophet suggests them to be, but order needs to be restored so that we can operate as we did before, you and Ginevra are crucial to this and if the other pair are to be involved they must follow my lead so as to not upset the balance." Dumbledore said softly, the twinkle now missing from his gaze.

"Why would you want it as it was before?" Harry said, now intently curious. "Corruption was more rampant making life harder for law abiding citizens, many magical creatures were alienated from wizarding society. Blood status is such an issue with so many that it reminds me of stories I heard about Hitler in World War 2 in the muggle world." Then Harry came to a silent conclusion. The wizarding world _needs_ to fall, wizards and witches need to implement themselves into Muggle society.

"Harry, Witches and Wizards need to remain hidden from Muggles, or else Muggles will revolt in fear of what they cannot understand, it would be bloody and violent." Dumbledore said as though he were explaining this to a toddler.

"As opposed to Voldemort, Grindelwald and every other dark witch or wizard who rises up in the name of bettering the world, having Muggles and Muggleborns on the bottom of their pecking order… No… The wizarding world needs to merge with the muggle." Harry said more to himself than Dumbledore. "It is truly the only way to achieve a balance, we must come to rely upon them, and they us."

"In a perfect world that would be the desired outcome Harry." Dumbledore said less arrogantly. "But alas, people will not see it that way, both Muggle and Magical. We cannot integrate, there is too much prejudice."

"Whatever." Harry said ending that line of topic. He was resolute, the Wizarding World had to integrate with the Muggle properly if there was to be peace again, as was Dumbledore with his views. "Why am I here?"

Dumbledore looked up and met Harry's eyes. Harry took that moment to load up his mental probe and struck, bleeding all the information he could in the precious seconds that Dumbledore held his gaze, all the while, doing his best to make sure that Dumbledore couldn't notice him doing this.

If Dumbledore noticed Harry's mental invasion, he made no show of noticing. He continued to talk, Harry caught something about the prophecy but was now drawing from his thoughts directly. He saw why Tom Riddle had become whole again, and was thrilled. Then he saw something far more disturbing, in an attempt to save Draco Malfoy from the wrath of the Dark Lord, he had signed Arthur Weasley's Death Warrant personally, by telling Snape exactly where he would be and when.

Harry wondered how much to tell Ginny silently. He knew she would feel his turmoil so he decided to keep the last piece of information to himself for the second. _'GIN! Dumbledore gave Snape a spell that absorbed his Horcruxes in exchange for power and restoration of his human body. He's mortal!'_ Harry did his best to school his features into a nonplussed look, all the while he was rejoicing at the fact that now he could fight Voldemort to the Death.  
 _'That's fantastic Harry. Everything is taken care of here by the way, Aurors have the Death Eaters and the Dementors are dead, all dead.  
'You can come to us now if you want love.'_ Harry felt a mental nod, and then saw Ginny appear on the far side of the room behind Dumbledore's couch.

"Harry, you must understand why I cannot let you return to school." Dumbledore continued, Harry had barely listened to the conversation. Ginny just stood there waiting to see what the man would say. "You see you need training under myself and Fawkes. There was a prophecy made about you so many years ago…"

"We know the Prophecy, Albus." Ginny said as she walked up, wand out and pointing at the old meddler.

Dumbledore jumped at the mention of his name as Ginny no doubt got the drop on him. "Then you must understand why we need to be your mentors, Ginevra."

Ginny looked over and saw Fawkes on the other side of the room. He was not looking so healthy anymore, in fact he had 3 black tail feathers mixed in with his usual red plumage. _'Harry… Fawkes doesn't look so well.'_ Harry looked over, and saw what Ginny was talking about. Dumbledore noticed this and looked over too.

"Ah, I see you have noticed that Fawkes is suffering." Dumbledore said softly. "He does not do so well in dark times like we are experiencing now."

"Probably because you are corrupting him with your influence." Harry said softly, but loud enough for all to hear. Ginny was wide eyed, but kept silent, Harry was going somewhere with this, Ginny could feel his anticipation, and his sudden knowing like a switch was flipped. He had always silently wondered why a phoenix, a pure creature, sat by and allowed someone like Dumbledore to cause so much wrong in the world. "You Imperioused me for 2 years. You returned Tom Riddle to full strength through your meddling, and you had Arthur Weasley killed." Harry said softly, Ginny's eyes went wider if possible, and it took all the power she had at the moment not to cut the head off the old man as he sat there. Harry felt the fury rolling off her and took a breath to compose himself, sending her his love and support through their bond. "Three dark acts, three black tail feathers. You are killing him. You two aren't the mentors, the Flamels are, you are the Meddler and if this doesn't make it obvious then nothing else will." Harry flexed and stood, putting magic into his muscles and the ropes exploded off him in every which direction. Dumbledore just sat there with a dark expression on his face as Ginny walked over to Harry's side.

Wordlessly and wandlessly Ginny petrified Fawkes, who didn't make a sound. Dumbledore didn't notice, his mind was in turmoil. She then put up Anti-Apparition and Portkey wards. "It's time for you to know who you are dealing with." She said darkly as she flicked out her Glaives, Harry did the same. They both then pulled their hoods over, covering their faces as Dumbledore looked up in Horror.

The two pairs he wanted control over were the same, Dumbledore looked over and saw his companion unmoving, Fawkes must know that it was time. "If you must, then please grant me a quick death…" Dumbledore said softly. He had already failed, it was too late to train Harry and Ginevra, they had taken too much life already, and the world would fall to darkness without him, but wasn't that the thinking that got him into this mess in the first place. Grindelwald, Tom, Harry, all led down dangerous and dark paths because of him. A tear slid down his face as he felt remorse for his actions, something he knew Tom Riddle wouldn't feel when Harry finally finished him.

"It is more than you deserve, I don't know why you beg for a quick death. As the muggles say, it's not the road to heaven that's paved with good intentions." Harry said pointedly.

"Yes, but I have not killed with my own hands. You are folly to believe you will be granted entrance to the paradise beyond, while you take life so willingly…" Dumbledore responded before he thought, but he had to admit to himself, in that moment, he still believed Harry to be on the wrong path deep down inside.

Harry sighed as he stepped closer to Dumbledore and thrust his red Glaive through the man's chest. The glowing of the Glaive intensified momentarily before there was a crackle of power that filled the room, which caused Ginny's glaives to glow too. Then it dispersed. Fawkes squawked angrily, then trilled a sad song, and flashed from the room, the sparks releasing him from the spell.

Before the light faded from Dumbledore's eyes Harry spoke to him once more, but quieter, "I take sinful lives to protect innocent ones. As I am sempiternal, and with Ginny by my side, I can work to redemption. You however, will see nothing but oblivion." The light faded from Dumbledore's eyes as they went wide for a moment, hearing Harry's admission before he passed from this world.

' _We have some work to do Gin.'_

* * *

It was a quiet group that made their way into Diagon Alley for the pre-election campaign of the Nominees. The Wizengamot had voted on 3 members they thought to be the best candidates for the position.

Grace and Neville were happily walking along hand in hand through the alley. Grace still being relatively new to the magical world, she still found Diagon Alley fascinating. Neville was simply happy to have his beautiful wife by his side, he now believed he felt how Harry did about Ginny, how he would do anything for the one he loved. How he would rather die than let anything happen to the young woman beside him. Both he and Grace believed it was that revelation of Neville's that caused them to become better friends over the year.

While Neville's thoughts were on love and friendship, Harry's thoughts however were once again returned to Dumbledore. Ever since he had killed him he couldn't take his mind off him. He was currently residing in the holding cells underneath Potter Manor, under a preservation charm. He was pleased that Snape would no longer be able to play both sides of the war, but he was also infuriated that Harry himself had to take the life of someone who wasn't a dedicated follower of Voldemort, and the old man had backed him into that corner where there was no way out. If he had not been so corrupt, and hadn't caused so much pain and death through his meddlings over the decades, then maybe there was another way for Albus Dumbledore.

Harry couldn't have him turned in to the authorities because he was the awed Leader of the Light. Even with some of the Wizengamot against or not believing in him there would be no charges. He would be able to worm his way out as he did two years ago with the charges Fudge had pressed. Then there was the Damage he had caused just recently, Voldemort was all powerful, far from where Harry had left him. Sure the Horcruxes would have been a royal pain in the arse to find, but with Ginny, Hermione, Neville and Grace by his side, he was sure they could have done it. Then there was the death of Arthur Weasley. Could he really believe that Draco Malfoy would allow himself to be saved from the path he was on? There was the other reason that he had Arthur Weasley killed, so he could work in collaboration with Voldemort's allies in having charges made against Harry. He would then step in with his power of the Wizengamot, save the boy who was doomed to Azkaban and lead him along under his mentorship.

Ginny had picked up on Harry's sombre mood and squeezed his hand in her own show of support. She knew he didn't enjoy being cornered into killing the old meddler, but she was happy that he was dealt with, another enemy that was out of play. When they had told Grace and Neville of what had happened, the pair were ecstatic. They had been trying to figure out a way to get to Dumbledore for months now, and now the pair knew they could breathe easier with one of their adversaries had been dealt with.

The group arrived at the centre of the Alley in the crowd that was awaiting the nominees' speeches before the campaigns began. They were simply going to break into the minds of the nominees, check that none were supporters of Voldemort, and leave, using the large crowd as their cover. If there was a supporter, he or she would be dealt with as soon as they were able.

The four were happy to learn, as was the Daily Prophet, that Umbridge had entrenched herself in the position of Hogwarts High Overseer so securely that she wasn't able to run for Minister of Magic, and at present there was no one who wanted the position so she could back out and enter the race as candidate. The thought ran through the mind of each of them at one point or another that School would be a pleasure to return to with her so furious at missing out on the highest position available at the Ministry.

Amelia Bones took to the stage. Sirius was off to the side watching lovingly, while Harry, Ginny, Neville and Grace were hidden in the crowds. "Welcome all, to the official speeches and opening ceremony of the Minister of Magic election campaign!" Amelia said proudly. There was a roar of approval from the crowd. Amelia held up her hands to quiet them. "I would like to officially introduce our candidates, Rufus Scrimgeour the Current Head Auror!" As Scrimgeour stepped onto the stage there was another round of applause and cheering from the large crowd. "Pius Thicknesse, the interim Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." He too stepped onto the stage as Harry caught his eye with glowing green eyes and his scar. With a quick blast of Legilimency Harry determined Thicknesse was not a supporter of Voldemort in any form.

"He's clear." Harry said quietly to the group.

Neville nodded to the others, "Scrimgeour is clear too."

"And Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, Corban Yaxley!" Amelia said proudly as another round of cheering went up.

"He has a Dark Mark." Ginny said quickly and pointedly, drawing the looks of the other 3 to her questioningly.

"Well there's not much more to it then…" Neville said softly. "Even if he doesn't get the votes, he is close enough that he can control either of the others. Pius doesn't have mental shields at all…" Neville said as though he were simply talking in thought. In the meantime Amelia had called Scrimgeour up to the stage to begin his speech, whereas Harry, Ginny, Neville and Grace had vanished from the crowd.

* * *

The Hogwarts Express battled against a rather forceful wind during a seasonal blizzard, as it chugged its way through the winding hills towards the Magical Castle in Scotland. The mood inside a compartment that held two married couples and one Hermione Granger seemed to reflect the weather outside as the group discussed the Minister of Magic nominees.

"That's a little worrying." Hermione said softly to the other 4 after they had explained that one of the Ministry Members in the running for Minister was a Death Eater.

"Yeah, after the two attacks, I'm not surprised that Voldemort is attempting to take control of the Ministry already. With Fudge gone, Dumbledore hiding, and me having not made a move against him as myself yet, there is nothing standing in his way." Harry said, he and Ginny hadn't told Hermione about the Death of their old Headmaster yet, and they didn't know how they were going to tell her. Neville and Grace accepted the lie of omission too, knowing Hermione wouldn't take Harry and Ginny's killing of Dumbledore well.

"Well we can only really wait and see who gets in and then react." Hermione said thoughtfully, "I know you don't like being reactionary like the Order and Dumbledore are," She said in an attempt to subdue Harry before he started, "But this needs to be handled a little more deftly than simply removing those we don't want to win."

"I think you're right." Harry said softly, much to Hermione's shock. The others agreed with him. The compartment returned to silence after that for a moment before Harry spoke again. "Neville, when do you think we should strike?"

"I don't know Harry…" Neville scratched his chin and looked up at the ceiling of the compartment. "It needs to be soon enough so that people know that it is a strike of anger, but school needs to settle in. With the attention on the Vigilantes again in the paper, we need to be careful that there are no traps, witnesses or holes in our alibis. We need to be surrounded by figures of authority when it is happening. Hogwarts is the perfect place for that."

"Strike? Strike what, Harry? What am I missing?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Harry double checked that the wards he had erected around the compartment were still in effect before he spoke. "Well, after we learned that Draco Malfoy killed Arthur Weasley, we planned a series of strikes that we were going to carry out in reaction. We got a list from Amelia, detailing the locations of known and suspected Death Eaters, so we scouted them and we were going to make Voldemort hurt for killing one of our side." Hermione nodded seeing nothing wrong with this. She was opposed to killing, but it was a tactically sound move. "But then there was the attack on Hogsmeade, we killed a lot of Death Eaters, and Ginny and I faced a renewed Voldemort. That's how I got the scar." Harry said gesturing to his face.

Hermione nodded and spoke softly. "I can understand why you didn't want to tell me how you got the scar straight away Harry. To be honest I forgot to ask, your scar sort of suits you… it makes you look… Hardened."

"I think so too." Ginny spoke softly as she climbed up into Harry's lap from her position beside him. Harry wrapped his arms around her smiling and she snuggled into his embrace. Harry looked down at his beautiful wife's red hair, running his fingers through the silky texture, watching the light reflect off the copper strands, and releasing the flowery essence it held. He smiled to himself, loving the smell, feel and look of her hair. Ginny felt his love for her and leaned back, Harry dipped his head down slightly, lips meeting each other as they melted into one another's kiss, losing themselves for the moment.

The compartment door opened a while later, causing the two to turn to face the door, they had their wands out, Neville nearly drew his sword. Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott and a girl known as Bridgette Yaxley in her 6th year, stood there leering at them. The group immediately knew the last was the daughter of the Death eater currently running for Minister of Magic.

"And here is the new snake club…" Ginny said with a smirk, hiding her annoyance that she and her husband had been interrupted. "How are you guys now that the king of snakes is in hiding?"

"Better than you, with a dead father your family can't be that well off can't they? How do they take to losing their source of income?" Pansy retorted with a smug smirk.

Ginny probed Pansy's mind, knowing that the girl wouldn't be _gracing_ them with her presence if there wasn't a hidden reasoning behind it. It didn't take her long to find the information she was looking for.

"Considering Harry is my family, I'd say nothing has changed." Ginny said smugly as she reached up and kissed him softly.

Pansy simply looked annoyed at this, and Ginny knew why. Secretly she and many other Slytherin's had harboured a crush for her husband, and considering he was good looking, his eyes were fixed and he was now rather muscular as opposed to the scrawny starved look, she couldn't blame them. Harry reflexively squeezed Ginny lightly around the middle which made her smile.

"You had better watch your back Weasley!" Parkinson all but screeched. "Your boyfriend will be at the mercy of the Dark Lord and he has promised us use of his… services…" She finished by looking him up and down.

"Eeew." Harry said scrunching up his face. "But if it's only the Dark wanker threatening, then I have nothing to worry about." Their group laughed, but the Slytherins looked mortified at Harry's nonchalance.

"How dare you!" Pansy screeched as she reached for her wand, but they were wandlessly launched from the compartment.

Pansy's head was spinning having been hit by a figurative train and slammed into a wall, she then looked up, seeing to her horror, Harry and Ginny Potter standing over her, sparks crackling off the pair.

"How stupid can you Slytherins be?" Ginny said with a frown on her face.

"You come into _our_ compartment, insult my wife, and then almost tell us directly that something is going to happen to us while we are at school." Harry said with his arms crossed his eyes seemed to glow green, something that scared Pansy as much as the sparks.

Ginny smiled at Pansy before she spoke. "You Snakes are supposed to pride yourselves in cunning and wit, but you are as subtle as an Erumpent rampaging in a library. Now that you have declared open war with us, be warned, you had better watch your backs because we will treat you as Death Eaters, and in the quiet, lonely dark, we shoot to kill." Ginny said turning her back.

Pansy went for her wand again, but she found Harry in an instant had both her and Theodore's hands in his, while Yaxley was disarmed by someone she didn't see. Harry then crushed their hands, shattering the bones and the wands in their grasp. "Never draw your wand on my wife again… You-will-die next time." Harry said quietly looking at all 3 of them. He then released them from his grasp and stepped back, folding his arms, as they stood and ran from his sight.

Harry turned and walked back into the compartment to find Ginny telling the others what he already knew. Pansy had orders from Voldemort to capture Ginny. He wouldn't let them near her, and he knew she wouldn't either. They had to be careful, because even Umbridge was in on it, and with her ineligible for the role of Minister of Magic, they knew she would be ruthless in her attempts to segregate Ginny from the group.

* * *

Harry and Ginny lay in their bed that night holding each other close. Dinner in the Great Hall had been uneventful, and while he thought there may be repercussions for breaking the hands of two of his year mates, he had heard nothing. As he held his wife close she picked up on his thoughts.

' _What's the matter love?'  
'I just can't help but wonder when they will finally press charges. I hate the waiting.' _Harry's thoughts now directed to the Ministry of Magic, they would make their move soon. He knew it, but he wanted to pre-empt them: it was natural from his training with Nicholas. _  
'I understand. Once they have made their move, we can counter. But until they do it's simply a waiting game.'  
'Yeah, I just keep thinking that if we were to simply use Legilimency on everyone and have ourselves a purge…'  
_Ginny stifled a giggle, she knew Harry was joking, even if there was an edge of seriousness to it. She cuddled in closer to her husband, relishing in the warmth from his body in the cold air. They knew they had a tough rest of their year ahead of them, so they would enjoy these moments when they could have them.

.

Harry and Ginny were awoken in the middle of the night by Sirius Black in the floo. "Potters! Diagon Alley! NOW!"

They were up in a flash, sending a quick Patronus message to the Flamels and Longbottoms, then robed and Shadow Stepped to the rooftops in Diagon Alley so they could survey the area. There was an intense battle below being waged between the destructive force of the Death Eaters, who were casting bombarding and Killing Curses with abandon, while the Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors were battling furiously, but with their hands tied with stunners, not wanting to kill or destroy.

Neville and Grace appeared beside Harry and Ginny looking down on the alley seconds later, and the Flamels were mere moments behind. "You guys start flanking them, Neville, I'm going to get our prop…" Neville nodded, "Ginny keep an eye out up here for me and tell me where to Shadow Step." Ginny nodded and they all vanished in different directions.

Ginny looked down and saw the Longbottoms and the Flamels instantly start slicing, blasting and eviscerating their way through the horde of Death Eaters, culling their number quickly.

' _You ready Harry?'  
'Yes Love.'_ As soon as he said it, she saw the opening.  
 _'Apothecary entrance NOW!'_

To anyone not truly knowing what happened, they would say that they saw Dumbledore step out of the entrance of Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary, directly into the path of a killing curse.

Ginny and Harry took the distraction of the Death Eaters to quickly Shadow Step into the fray below and carve their way through them without incident. Meeting the Longbottoms and Flamels in the middle before Shadow Stepping to Potter Manor as a group. Harry heard the crying and tears of many members of the Aurors and Order of the Phoenix as he left.

break

"So what just happened?" Nicholas was the one to speak.

"Well, Dumbledore died by my hand a few days ago, but I had to make sure he was killed in such a way that it drew nothing back onto myself." Harry said simply. "The feud between him and I is well known. He was the cause of the death of Arthur Weasley and was working with Voldemort to have charges placed against me. His plan was to broker a deal where I would pledge loyalty to him in exchange for my freedom." Harry then looked into his mentor's eyes and saw the seriousness there, "He was corrupting Fawkes Nick… 3 Black Tail Feathers, 3 truly dark acts. He paved the way to his own hell…"

"I am not disagreeing with you Harry." Nicholas said softly. "It's just…"

"We are worried about you…" Perenelle spoke, "Was it easy to kill him? Did you regret it at all?"

"Yes and no…" Harry said.

"Don't lie Harry," Ginny said softly. "It wasn't easy on him." She said simply. "He regrets that he was cornered to a point where the decision was made for him. He didn't want to kill him, he wanted him gone yes, but not by his own hand. He wanted to have Dumbledore turn himself over, but we all know he would have walked out of there the next day with all charges dropped." Harry looked at Ginny and she frowned at him. "Don't look at me like that Harry." She said her temper flaring slightly at his questioning look. "I get Harry radio loud and clear remember, sometimes I know you better than I know myself."

Harry just pulled Ginny into a hug. "I know, I'm sorry. You truly are my better half." He said with a smirk that made her anger melt away before he pecked her lightly on the lips, then turning back to Nicholas and Perenelle who were smiling at the pair.

"I am glad that it was not that easy to take his life." Nicholas said. "I have to admit, I too thought of it a few times… while he is responsible for a lot of harm, he has never directly killed anyone, he always relies on the choices of others to keep him… Innocent…"

"Harry told him something that I think shocked him more than anything." Ginny said with a smile. The others all just looked at her with a questioning look on their features. "He said it's not the road to heaven that's paved with good intentions."

"And right you are Harry," Perenelle said softly. "Like Dumbledore, sometimes those that wish to help the most, do the most harm. Live and let live."

"There was something you said that worried me a little Harry… although I think it may be because I know nothing but the way the magical world is now…" Ginny admitted. He looked at her with a sad look knowing what she was going to say.

"We do not judge you Harry, we are your mentors, we wish to guide you." Nicholas said with a smile. "We love you like our own, and if we find you at risk, we will intervene and help, so please do not hold anything from us for fear of our judgement of you."

Harry nodded. "I want to destroy the wizarding government." Nicholas and Perenelle were wide eyed and Grace gasped. Neville looked nonplussed. "Wizards and Witches need to integrate with Muggles to learn to respect them."

"Yep." Neville said simply as everyone's attention was drawn to him. "What?" He laughed. "The Ministry of Magic is a cesspool of corruption, dirty deals, persecution and hatred, Harry's right. I've seen it ever since I was young. But until I have been with Grace and hung around Harry, I've never had the confidence to say, or felt like I had the ability to do something about it." Neville scratched the back of his neck, a small amount of his old shyness showing through at speaking his mind. "I'm with you Harry, I think it needs to be destroyed too."

"Thanks Nev." Harry said with a smirk.

Ginny just cuddled into Harry's embrace, _'You know I will always be by your side Harry.'  
'I don't just want you by my side love, I want you with me the whole way, hand in hand. If you don't like something please speak up. You are better at hiding your feelings than me obviously.' _Harry thought to her with a smirk.  
Ginny leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. _'Always, Harry, I will be with you always. And I promise I will tell you if I don't like something.'_

"Well, it looks like we have some planning to do, but first you lot need to get some rest. Be sure to use the Time-Turners and get some adequate sleep." Nicholas said with a smirk. The four said their goodbyes and Shadow Stepped to their own rooms at Hogwarts.

* * *

A/N: Again I apologise for the delay in getting this chapter out. Thankyou all who have been waiting for being so patient. We will endeavour to get the next chapter out a good deal quicker.

Beta/N:

"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul"

\- George Bernard Shaw

I like this one because it can relate to the rich Pure-blood community as Paul and the muggles and "blood-traitors" as Peter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8. Darkness Beware**

 _Albus Dumbledore Remembered.  
A Collaboration of Rita Skeeter and Samuel Thompson_

 _A great Sadness has gripped our wizarding world, with the Funeral Service set for this week we seek to remember the man Albus Dumbledore as he was._

 _As we know Albus Dumbledore was murdered in the latest attack on Diagon Alley last week. (See page 5 for Details of the attack). The attack was spearheaded by none other than the Vigilantes Harbinger and Interfector (More detail on page 3), that have had our proud wizarding nation living in fear for the last year. We now have inside information from the Auror Department and Witnesses of the Hogsmeade attack that they are now working with he-who-must-not-be-named's Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban last year. (Who to look out for, Page 3). Unfortunately this was predicted and we can only hope that the Department of Magical law Enforcement can bring these heinous criminals to justice._

 _A witness of the Hogsmeade attacks detailed how the Vigilantes were working with the Death Eaters against a man who stood up to them all, eventually fighting them all off and saving the town. "2 of the 7 people were fighting this one man, I think his name was Tom Riddle." – Witness present during the Hogsmeade attack._

 _Unfortunately Tom Riddle, the saviour of Hogsmeade was not able to appear in Diagon Alley in time to help stem the tide of damage being caused by the Vigilantes and their Death Eaters, but help arrived in the form of Albus Dumbledore who fought heroically until he fell to the Killing Curse in front of Mr. Mulpeppers._

" _He (Albus Dumbledore) just fell. The curse just hit him, there was no time to move." – Auror present at the attack on Diagon Alley._

 _Albus Dumbledore will be remembered for his outstanding efforts to help better the Wizarding world, from his work detailing the 12 uses of Dragon's Blood, to the defeat of the second darkest wizard of all time, Gellert Grindelwald. Unfortunately towards the end of his life, Dumbledore began to be spread somewhat thin across his various tasking's, as his friend, Cornelius Fudge helped him by removing him from the positions of Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. He retained the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts._

 _As such, the Funeral of Albus Dumbledore will take place on the grounds of Hogwarts where a tomb and memorial stone will be created in his honour to pay tribute to the time he spent as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. All who wish to be present are encouraged to attend._

 _We have been advised that Harry Potter, The Boy who lived, is currently attending Hogwarts, and is distraught at the loss of his favoured advisor._

 _As we remember the great man we have lost, we are asked by the Ministry of Magic's Amelia Bones to "remember to stay true to our values, to stick together and we will work as one to tackle the issue of the Death Eaters."_

There was a clatter of cutlery from Harry as he stopped reading the article in the Daily Prophet at that point. Ginny was in shock too, the Prophet had gone from vilifying Dumbledore in the past year to portraying him as nothing but a hero in his death, and then further on in the article, remembering him as a hero, forgetting the terrible deeds he had performed in the name of the light, however his greatest hits were known only to a few.

The Prophet had even gone so far as to make Tom Riddle the saviour of Hogsmeade, little did they know however that he was Voldemort, their most feared dark wizard of all time.

"That is… Pathetic." Neville said softly.

"I know." Grace whispered before she spoke up slightly. "They did a complete one-eighty on Dumbledore and had Voldemort save Hogsmeade. You couldn't dream up this sort of bullshit."

The others all stifled a chuckle, including the Twins who had joined them, none wanting to be caught laughing at what was meant to be a sombre moment in the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall stood to make an announcement with Umbridge by her side.

"As you may have already read," The Headmistress spoke clearly to the Great Hall which had immediately become silent when she stood. She looked rather angry, as she was one of the few people that knew the real Dumbledore, and how much life was lost due to his meddling. "The memorial of Albus Dumbledore will take place here on the grounds of Hogwarts. The service shall be tomorrow morning, you will all be excused from classes to attend if you wish," She then looked around the Hall and her eyes landed on a few of the Slytherins momentarily before her gaze moved on and she spoke again. "If you do not wish to attend, you will be sequestered to your House Dormitories where you will be served snacks, drinks and meals until the all the guests have left the school grounds. You are to use this time for your studies and your Heads of Houses will be checking in on you regularly. Punishments will be severe for those found not present at either the Memorial or their Dorms." She then took her seat.

Chatter resumed in the Great Hall as Harry, Ginny and the others returned to their own conversation.

"As much as I don't want to go, I feel like I should be seen there for appearances sake..." Harry said thoughtfully. "But then again, I don't want to be seen there because of the reporters that will no doubt be there..." _'And because I killed him…'_ Harry finished only to Ginny and himself.

Ginny leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, as Harry wrapped his arm around her back to hold her. _'If it wasn't you, Harry I was going to do it. He wasn't leaving there alive after what he did to us both. We already both agreed long ago that he had to go one way or the other. Don't beat yourself up, love... if you let him go you would have regretted it.'_ Ginny then snaked an arm around his waist and squeezed him gently. To anyone else they would have looked like they were in mourning, but to them and the Longbottoms, they knew the truth. _  
'I may be sorry that he couldn't be redeemed, but I'm glad I did it, Gin. He caused far too much pain and loss, his plans for the wizarding world were going to cause the hate to fester and if possible, create a far worse person than Tom. If that is even possible… No… You're right, I did the right thing, thank you Gin.'_ Harry finished as he turned and kissed the top of Ginny's head.

Classes continued as normal from that point. The days after the attack on Diagon Alley had been tense, the children of Death Eaters seemed happy that Dumbledore had perished by their parent's hands, but on the same token, they knew that the Vigilantes had torn the Death Eaters apart. To many, Pansy Parkinson and her gang were rather unbearable, lording over the rest of the school that one of the most renowned wizards of the light had perished. She and Yaxley however, avoided Harry, Ginny and the others for the most part, afraid of more retribution from the event on the train.

The memorial the next morning was nothing extraordinary, with the exception of Dumbledore's white tomb remaining on the Hogwarts grounds not far from the Black Lake, which looked almost majestic, with Harry thinking it was much too good for the meddling and conniving bastard that the man was.

The Centaurs and Merpeople looked on the funeral for a short while, noticed by few, and disappearing sometime during the ceremony.

Amelia Bones and many other people stood and presented their thoughts on what the life of Albus Dumbledore meant. Elphias Doge, a man who supposedly knew the man well stood and presented what seemed to be the life story of the man for what felt like hours, and much to Harry's dismay, Bathilda Bagshot stood and continued even further into the old meddlers past, none however spoke that he had assisted in the rise of Grindelwald and Voldemort.

Harry played the part of the sad student rather well, as did Ginny, looking sad when they were meant to, but not overly so, not drawing any unwanted attention to themselves. However as the ceremony dragged on and it was rather hard to maintain the mask of sadness they had adopted, over the boredom that they constantly felt.

At one point the group felt they were watched, with Neville and Grace seeming like they were almost on edge, however their fears seemed to be unfounded as the ceremony continued without incident. The group was ecstatic when the service ended, and they left before any of the reporters covering the event recognised them.

* * *

February rolled around rather quickly. The group still had to perform their series of Strikes against the Death Eaters, as casually reminded by Neville on the first week of that month, while they all settled down in the Gryffindor Study of Harry and Ginny's, to do their homework before bed.

"I think Friday would be best." Ginny said offhandedly at Neville's reminding that they should act soon. Looking up from her homework to their questioning gazes, she continued with her thought. "Friday is when everyone in Gryffindor seems to be the most rowdy, if we join them then we have an airtight alibi." Ginny then shrugged, "Play a few rounds of Exploding Snap, chess... etcetera." ' _Snogging quietly in the corner…_ ' She finished, smirking to her husband who turned his brilliant Emerald eyes to her making her shiver internally. She always felt his love for her, but every now and then it spiked as it did just then, causing her to blush while she relished in the feelings that he had for her.

"I think that's an excellent call Ginny." Grace said while smirking at Ginny with similar thoughts of her own. Ginny was roused from her thoughts of her husband and nodded back to Grace. "Friday then."

' _I'll go let Nicholas know.'_ Harry thought to Ginny, who nodded in response, trying valiantly to keep her blush down, as she listened to Harry's lecherous thoughts of what they might get up to later.

"Where's he gone?" Hermione said offhandedly, not removing her attention from her unfinished essay. While she would not take part in their outings, and was opposed to the killing of Death Eaters rather than the capture, she would not let that detail come between her friendships with the group.

"To let Nicholas and Perenelle know of our decision no doubt, and Sirius too, now that I think of it." Ginny said aloud, before turning inward, _'Harry, be sure to let Sirius know too, he would be pissed if you didn't include him.'  
'He's here with the Flamels love…' _Harry's voice in her head sounded shocked, ' _they're training him...'_

.

Harry just arrived at Flamel Island. It appeared deserted. Knowing Nicholas and Perenelle enjoyed their training, Harry decided to venture to their Time room to see what the pair were up to.

As he opened the door to the Room, he was shocked by what he saw, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Bill Weasley were going toe to toe with the Flamels and holding their own.

Spells were being cast furiously by the five, and shielded with equal vigour. The group of three were working almost like a well-oiled machine. Harry observed through his shock, they still would come undone if Nicholas and Perenelle were fighting at full power.

Nicholas put up his hand and called a stop to the training, sensing Harry's entrance.

' _Harry, be sure to let Sirius know too, he would be pissed if you didn't include him.'_ Harry heard Ginny in his head.  
' _He's here with the Flamels love…'_ Harry responded, shock evident in his voice at the group that was training with his mentors before him. ' _They're training him… Remus and Bill too…'  
'WHAT?!'_ Ginny practically yelled in his head, before she appeared by his side, not a moment later.

"BILL?" Ginny questioned rather loudly, "What are you doing here?"

"Spit-fire…" Bill started, but then stopped seeing Ginny's glare at the childhood nickname she grew out of not long after it was given to her. "Ginny, you look well."

"Don't give me that, Bill." Ginny said, waving her hand absently at the attempted change of topic.

"I asked the Flamels to train me." Sirius spoke up, seeing the unasked question on Harry's face and begun mollifying Ginny at the same time, he knew from James and Lily's squabbling how to deal with an angry redhead and it was to fess up quickly. "I wanted to help you guys more, I had Bill and Remus at Potter Manor for drinks and we were talking about how the world is going to shit, what with Dumbledore's meddling, the Ministry and even Rita Skeeter's lies and everyone believing them." Sirius rubbed his forehead, "I was frustrated that I couldn't do anything more to help you guys, and I want a world where I can raise a child with Amelia." Sirius admitted with a slight blush to his cheeks. "You two are so powerful, and you have already achieved so much, and after seeing you two at Hogsmeade… I… We want to be a part of that."

Harry just nodded at the explanation provided by his Godfather, not knowing what to say for the moment.

"After seeing Ginny fight at the end of Dad's funeral…" Bill trailed off, "That's what did it for me… She wasn't even shooting to kill, and I could tell she was really pulling her punches, but by Merlin could she move." Ginny blushed at Bill's praise of her fighting. "Nothing and no one stood a chance against her… We need to be ready to help you if the need calls…" Bill admitted lowering his head, Harry assumed that he was ashamed that he wasn't there for Ginny for so long, and now he wanted to make up for it. He had finally gotten a position at Gringotts in Diagon Alley, but hadn't seen much of Ginny since moving back to Britain.

"Harry, they are good fighters." Nicholas spoke gently, regaining Harry's attention from his wandering thoughts. "They may not have the raw power that you two wield, but they are capable, and with the training we are providing them, Death Eaters don't stand a chance. We could use a few more allies, so I took it upon myself to train them, much like I did with the two of you."

"That's all well and good, but we don't want you guys getting hurt." Ginny said softly, voicing the concerns floating around in her husband's mind that he wasn't voicing. "Please, just be careful."

"The same goes to you Firecracker." Bill said with an evil smirk. Ginny let the pet name go for the moment, with the revelation of her brother and surrogate uncles being trained by what could only be described as her replacement parents, she was still reeling from the thoughts of what this could mean for their group of Renegade Warriors.

"We might really be able to do this." Ginny whispered. Harry looked down at her startled by her thoughts.

"Do what?" Bill asked softly, slightly worried by the expression on her face.

Harry inclined his head slightly, picking up on Ginny's train of thought, the pair silently decided that they might as well just tell them their eventual plans. "Dismantle the Wizarding World as it is now, forcing Magical people to co-mingle with Muggles, living and working with them and therefore removing the blood prejudices from the society. They will be forced to live as muggles, and then one day, wizards and witches may be able to come out of all this secrecy shit, helping the world move forward, that or form an alliance with the muggle government silently. Either way, I'm destroying the Ministry of Magic, as Neville said, it's archaic and a cesspool for corruption and hate."

Bill, Remus and Sirius looked shocked at the revelation that both Harry and Ginny wanted to tear down the Wizarding World, everything they knew to be good and wholesome while growing up, the Pillar of the Magical community. Nicholas and Perenelle knew what Harry and Ginny had planned, they had seen in the children that they were disgusted with the state of the Magical World when they were first brought to Flamel Island, the corruption and hatred being bred from generation to generation was obvious to an outsider. Dumbledore's meddling of their lives, and his abuse of power from the position he wielded to practically destroy Harry's childhood, and nearly killing Ginny which would have doomed the Earth as they knew it, was what opened their eyes to the corruption of the world they knew and once adored.

"Well." Ginny said with finality, "Enough of this heavy stuff, I want to see what Nicholas and Perenelle have taught you." Ginny said with a smirk to her older brother, raising her power level slightly, causing the room to darken and the air to feel heavy. Bill paled slightly to the challenge causing Harry to chuckle at his wife's antics, as power begun to crackle around her.

* * *

Neville and Grace were sitting on the couch of Harry and Ginny's study. Ginny had quickly stood and Shadow Stepped away from her incomplete homework, no doubt in pursuit of Harry and what he was doing. Neville had started to suspect that Harry and Ginny were able to communicate silently using some form of Legilimency between the two of them, however he didn't voice his suspicions, two years of friendship, more if you counted the many years in the Time Rooms, had caused Neville to have a rather deep understanding of his friends, and Harry was no doubt his best and only mate, he would nearly even call him Brother they had been through so much together.

Harry and Ginny were exceptionally private about their bond, and on some level, Neville understood. He rarely discussed his relationship with Grace with anyone but her, to do so felt almost like a betrayal. He loved her deeply and couldn't picture life without her now. He smiled at the thoughts running through his head. Grace caught his smirk and leaned into him slightly.

"Love?..." Grace whispered, before she was interrupted by a loud whooshing sound, as bright flame exploded into the room. As the flame died down, a grey Phoenix with orange and red wingtips and three black Tail feathers settled onto the table before them.

"Three Black Feathers…" Neville whispered, Hermione looked on questioningly but said nothing. The Phoenix trilled at Neville's recognition and flapped up onto Grace's shoulder and looked at her intently for a moment, Grace and Neville tensed, ready to draw their wands.

"Grace." The portrait of Godric Gryffindor spoke, now animated and looking at her with a calming expression. Godric's Portrait usually became dormant in the room until someone addressed it, they supposed he had another Portrait somewhere else that he visited. "Please do not panic, this Phoenix wishes to bond with you. It will burn you with Phoenix Fire, then it will heal the wound with its tears, this process bonds the bird to you, 'through honour and fire, thou shalt be bound by the light.' It is a great honour."

Grace nodded and looked at Neville. Neville just smiled to her in response to the questioning in her eyes. She looked back to the Phoenix and whispered in awe, "Okay."

The Phoenix, hopped down onto Grace's lap, cutting her robes open with a swipe of its Talon exposing her leg just above the knee, it's wing then burst into bright flame as it brought it to the exposed skin, singing it lightly, before it leant over and dropped a single pearly tear onto the burn. Everyone, including the Portrait of Godric gasped when the Phoenix then repeated the process with Neville, cutting open his pants, burning his knee, then healing it; all within seconds.

"I have never seen a Phoenix bond itself to two people before." Godric said softly, as the three in the room were shocked into silence.

The Phoenix sat there a moment, across the laps of the couple it had just bonded with. Looking up into their eyes Hermione heard the bird trill softly, however Neville and Grace had heard it speak. "You know who I am?" The Phoenix asked softly.

Neville and Grace both nodded having heard, from Harry and Ginny, the story of how Fawkes had been corrupted by Dumbledore, ending with his departure with three black tail feathers, but now he was almost completely Grey, his eyes still shone a bright green, and the red and orange tips of his wings was still bright.

The bird trilled again rather sadly, "The Bonded couple were correct, Albus' dark influence corrupted my light. I have been punished for allowing this, not once but twice, and have been stripped of most of my colour, it is punishment among the Phoenix. As penance I am to bond myself to neither a light nor a dark Witch or Wizard to guide them in the right direction, it is only then, when I can prove that I am worthy, shall I regain my colours."

"Why not Harry and Ginny?" Neville asked softly, from the memories of Harry, they had seen that Fawkes had assisted him in the Chamber of Secrets and even saved his life with his healing tears.

"I hold no quarrel with the young couple, but they killed the man I was bound to, I cannot bond with them." Fawkes trilled sadly, "killing the bonded of a Phoenix is a great insult to the Phoenix, and whilst they may have done the right thing on a larger scale, and I am able to assist them through you two, I cannot bond with Harry or Ginevra Potter, no Phoenix ever can." The bird trilled sadly.

Neville looked panicked slightly for a moment as he quickly glanced to Hermione who was looking at him questioningly, as though he were an interesting book that need reading. Fawkes trilled again, drawing Neville's attention back to the bird on his lap. "She cannot understand me as you two can, I have given you the ancient gift of Fenix." Fawkes said. "It's an ancient language, similar to the Parseltongue ability, however you cannot be born with this skill. While I can talk to you and you can understand, I can understand you and your natural language, sense some of your emotions, interpreting questions before you ask them, however no one but the two of you will be able to understand me, such is the way of the bond and the gift."

"What's the Phoenix saying? What is its name? Why did it come to you?" Hermione asked excitedly unable to take it anymore, not understanding the language or the direction the conversation was taking.

"Hermione, there is a lot that we, Harry and Ginny need to tell you." Grace said softly, as Hermione's eyes narrowed in the understanding that a lot had recently been kept from her. "It's not a short conversation, and it's not all ours to tell."

"Okay…" Hermione said softly with a pout, deflated by the fact that she wouldn't get any answers for now. "I think I might go to bed, can I expect that you will tell me what this is all about tomorrow?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"We will talk to Harry and Ginny, Hermione." Neville said softly, "We can't keep this from you as it concerns you too, but you won't be happy with them, or us."

"Okay." She said as she stood and made her way to the exit. "Thank you." Hermione said to the couple as she exited.

Fawkes trilled again drawing Neville and Grace's attention. "The world is quickly becoming dark my new friends, and I approve of the solution that you and your bonded friends have come up with."

.

Around an hour later Harry and Ginny Shadow Stepped back into their room at Hogwarts Castle. They were happy with the massive improvement that Sirius, Bill and Remus had all undergone whilst training with the Flamels, and were excited with what it could mean for the group.

However as they glanced around the room, the pair noticed a Grey Phoenix, with Orange and Red Wingtips and three Black tail feathers sitting atop Neville and Grace's laps.

The pair immediately recognised the Phoenix for who it was, Harry drew his Glaives and assumed his battle stance half in front of Ginny, whilst she pointed one wand at it over his shoulder and had her Glaive in the other hand. The pair had power cracking around them as they readied themselves for a fight, unsure of what the Phoenix could do to or want with them, but they had killed its master, so they were ready for anything.

"Harry, Ginevra." The Portrait of Godric Gryffindor said carefully, his hands raised within the frame of the painting, attempting to calm the pair with a show of submission, albeit awed by their quick reaction to the unknown being in the room. "This Phoenix here has bonded with _both_ Neville and Grace. It appears he wishes to help your cause through these two."

Harry and Ginny's eyes shifted to the portrait and back again, other than that he didn't move. _'What do you think Gin?'_ Harry asked his wife silently.  
 _'I don't trust it, and it looks sickly… Could it be corrupt?'_ Ginny thought to him. Harry just nodded in response and the power crackling around them appeared to intensify and the air practically shimmered and wavered with power.

When Neville and Grace saw that the pair didn't relax their postures, Neville stood, shifting Fawkes from his lap who took flight and landed on the back of the couch. "Guys." Neville said, trying to placate them. "Fawkes has bonded with us because he needs to redeem himself. He has been disgraced because Dumbledore's meddling afflicted him, and he allowed his previous bound wizard to become corrupt and die because of his own actions. He wanted to bond with the pair of you, but he couldn't because you were the ones to strike Dumbledore down." Neville explained sombrely.

Grace stood and made her way to Neville, taking his hand. "Guys, we trust you two with our lives, please trust us on this, Fawkes explained it all to us, and as he has bound himself to us, he can't hurt us, or any that are allied with us, namely you two." Grace said softly.

' _I trust Grace and Nev with our lives Harry. Perhaps we should give Fawkes the benefit of the doubt, and with the influence of those two on him, we should be fine.'_ Ginny thought to Harry.  
 _'Okay love.'_ Was all Harry responded with as he relaxed his posture, allowing the power within him to ease back, causing the crackling of power around the pair to subside.

"We trust you guys with our lives." Harry said softly repeating Ginny's thoughts, "Of course we will trust you on this. If you trust him, we do too." The pair then holstered their weapons back in their robes as wands and all made toward the couches.

Harry and Ginny naturally avoided the Phoenix slightly, opting to sit across from Neville and Grace so that they could see the bird.

"Guys." Neville said as he sat. "We need to talk to Hermione."

* * *

The group of students had continued their training with Professor Colin Turner almost immediately upon returning to the school, and he commended them on their rapid and continued improvement. He continued to focus them on increasing their weaknesses to minimise any possibility of loss during hand to hand combat.

Professor Flanagan had provided them with highly advanced potions and instruction. Some were strengthening potions that increased the power of the user but with dangerous side effects that usually stemmed with abuse and overuse, another was a healing potion, used to bring the user back from the brink of death, but rendered them incapacitated for a lengthy period of time, usually up to a fortnight.

Harry was amazed that the world's best and rarest healing potion, utilized the Venom of a Basilisk to heal the drinker. It was astounding that something so deadly, could provide life when brewed with the correct ingredients.

The only problem the group encountered came in the form of Dolores Umbridge. As Fudge was no longer current Minister, she had lost her position of Senior Undersecretary, and could only be appointed into that same position by the new minister, if he so desired.

Umbridge's wrath at this revelation left no student intact, as she would assign detentions and take house points for anything, including Hermione, when she lost 30 Points from Gryffindor for turning a page and writing too loudly.

Her wrath however faltered when she came upon Ginny and Harry, with her remembering Harry's warning and the shock from his power, she left them alone. But they didn't know how long it would last. The pair knew she was plotting something, but the woman was careful not to meet their gaze during classes and when in the Great Hall, so they were unable to use their form of Legilimency on her to figure out how to defend themselves from the toad, even Neville, Grace and Hermione couldn't get a read on her. Both Harry and Ginny were tempted to tie her down, use Legilimency on her and then Obliviate her, but they refrained from that path as it wasn't a far step from there to turning Dark.

.

That same evening The Longbottoms and the Potters sat down with Hermione and explained to her everything that had happened after the Funeral of Arthur Weasley. She wasn't as angry as the group expected her to be, as she told them that she had already predicted that they would have to 'take care' of Dumbledore sooner or later. She was however, rather miffed that they had let her believe that he had died in a battle for the light for weeks. She asked that they trust her with information like that in the future as she had earned the right to it. They wholeheartedly agreed, and admitted they were more worried that she would reject them for what they had done rather than how she would feel personally with the information of the old meddlers demise. So once that conversation was over, Neville and Grace took to explaining Fawkes' appearance and what it meant.

Hermione was pleased to have some answers and was happy that the Phoenix had another chance, especially now that he was on their side. The group was rather pleased when she had suggested that Neville and Grace talk to the Phoenix and ask him about previous times and history, he could part with some rather valuable information if they asked the right questions.

It was a very happy Hermione that went to bed that night, even if the day did bring with it the revelation that her friends had killed Dumbledore and staged his death as something else.

* * *

The Longbottoms, Potters, Flamels, Hermione, Sirius, Remus and Bill Weasley stood in the sitting room of Potter Manor, surrounding a table with destinations on them. It was the first Friday night of February, and it was high time for them to launch the Strike at the Death Eaters that they had readied themselves for so long.

They had decided that the couples would be a team each, and Sirius and Bill would form another team. The mission outline had changed slightly. The pairs would each take a house, and then join with another team to strike against one more before Shadow Stepping back to Potter Manor.

The homes had been scouted again by the Flamels and their newest apprentices, as a training mission of sorts, and now they believed they were prepared for the real fight.

Remus would not be joining them. Whilst he had been happy to train and become stronger with the purpose of helping Harry and Ginny with their task of dismantling the Wizarding Government and protecting innocent lives, he still didn't agree with killing, even if they were Death Eaters. The result was that he and Hermione would be support, if any word came back that someone was in trouble requiring assistance they would perform a rescue of sorts, or if people returned injured they would tend to their wounds. They had an armament of remedies and potions ready to go in case the worst were to happen, including their Basilisk Venom Restorative.

Hermione had expressed her thoughts that Colin Turner and Kevin Flanagan would most likely join the group, and while the others had all agreed, the Flamels were already too busy with the training of Sirius, Remus and Bill to take on any more. Ginny added to that, pointing out that as they were Hogwarts Professors, it was nigh impossible for them to take a leave of absence at present to train with the Flamels, even with the assistance of Time Turners, she voiced that she doubted they would want to commit themselves during the middle of the school year.

Nicholas had run through the plan one last time, and everyone had their briefings of where they would strike, Perenelle turned to Sirius and Bill. "You two are on your own for the first time, please be careful," Perenelle said softly. Sirius and Bill all nodded and the group Shadow Stepped away.

.

Sirius and Bill arrived at a house not far from Ottery St. Catchpole. It was secluded on a large patch of land, and butted against a hill. They knew they would face Death Eaters inside, albeit a small number of them, however they were still favouring the side of caution.

The pair waited silently for a moment before they stalked towards the house. Sirius was going to take the front entrance with shock and awe to draw attention, where Bill would flank silently through the rear shortly after Sirius entered. They were wearing black cloaks with shadowing charms on the hoods to hide their identity. Sirius was slightly opposed to this, as he felt that they were no better than the Death Eaters, however Bill and the others had pointed out that they weren't attacking innocents for sport and needed to conserve their identities as any slip, knowing the Death Eaters, would have their families and loved ones paying the price. Sirius conceded almost immediately thinking of Amelia.

Sirius braced himself as he held his wand before him. He counted down from five and blasted the door in. The explosion hex was slightly overpowered, having trained for a few years now under Perenelle and Nicholas, Sirius' spell blew the front half of the house in on itself.

Bill walked in through the back door and saw the carnage that Sirius had wrought with a single spell. Bill laughed at the stunned image that was Sirius standing in the newly opened doorway, picturing his shocked face at the damage.

There was a groaning under the wreckage, so the pair did a quick sweep of the house and found it empty, with the exception of the front room Sirius had demolished. Bill closed his eyes and reached out with the Magical Perception that they had been trained in by Perenelle, he found that there were several Death Eaters beneath the wreckage, most branded with Dark Marks, and now, all dead with the Magic in them quickly fading.

The pair retreated a distance and unleashed Fiendfyre to consume the house, bodies and any evidence that a house ever existed. They were able to contain the spell rather easily with their increased power.

Bill stood there watching the flames of the fire. He was quickly thrown back into memory of his short battle with Ginny, where she showed him a part of what she could truly do.

* * *

 _Flashback_

Ginny withdrew her wands and walked forward to stand before Bill in challenge. As she stood there with power radiating out from her, coaxing him to cast the first spell. Bill was in awe of his baby sister.

"Well Bill?" Ginny said with a smirk, "You're looking at me like Harry does."

Harry and the others chuckled at Ginny's comment as Bill shook himself and scowled. _"Impedimenta, Stupefy, Constrictor."_ Bill shouted in rapid succession.

Ginny smirked at Bill and dodged side to side, then spun to avoid the last spell cast in her direction, she then flicked her wand out of her holster and in one swift movement sent several stunning spells Bills way, who raised a shield and tried to dodge at the same time. Two of the spells hit his shield causing it to falter, just as he dropped to the ground and rolled to dodge the remaining two.

Harry stood there watching the battle, arms folded, _'My Ginny'_ He thought to her with a smirk. Seeing her eyes flicker to him for a moment, and feeling the love and lust emanating from her, caused the smirk to widen into a smile.

Sirius decided he would take that moment to cast a stunning spell at Harry in challenge. Harry simply stood there, raised a hand and flicked the spell back at Sirius, his eyes never leaving Ginny, who was trading spells in rapid succession with Bill who had stepped their battle up a notch. _'My Harry.'_ Ginny thought back to him in response which made him smile wider again.

With a short conversation with Remus, Sirius and he start casting spells in rapid fire at Harry. Without thinking about it, Harry released his Aura, allowing his power to soak up the spells the pair were casting at him - not interested in the challenge Sirius and Remus offered, he wanted to watch his wife - all the while eyes never leaving Ginny's fight.

Feeling Harry's aura triggered something inside of Ginny, which in turn set hers off too, something within her believing there to be a threat to her bond-mate, even though she knew they were in the training room with allies. Bill kept casting spells at her, but they were being soaked up by the Aura she had released. She put her wand away and walked up to him, Flames of the Red Aura, the Golden swirling spherical power and crackling sparks jumping through it all.

Realising he didn't stand a chance against her while she was powered up like this Bill lowered his wand and stood there in awe as he looked at her. His little sister was Beautiful, the power around her making her eyes and hair seem to glow, he looked over to Harry and saw something similar, glowing eyes but his hair looked to have a black sheen to it.

Unconsciously, as Ginny drew closer Bill reached out. "Don't touch it, Bill." Ginny said softly, but the tone of her voice was firm. Bill's outstretched hand stopping in its path, his look of awe turning to worry. "The power will kill you. Harry is the only one who can withstand this, and I his." Bill just nodded his head, understanding just how out of his depth he really was in fighting Ginny, understanding just how far ahead the pair of them have become since the tomb in Egypt.

/ _Flashback_

* * *

"You alright Mate?" Sirius said softly, reviving Bill from his memory of his little sister's power.

"Yeah… Just… Ginny and Harry, the flame reminded me of their power." Bill said with awe in his voice.

"They're really something aren't they?" Sirius said almost in a whisper. Bill struggled to hear him over the crackle and rushing sound of the flame consuming the house in its path. "They'll do it you know… Re-forge the Wizarding World into something better."

"Yeah… I hope so..." Bill said. Not knowing what else to say the pair watched the burning house a moment longer.

Once the house was burnt to the ground, which only took a few minutes with the intense heat of the sell, the pair extinguished the cursed flame and Shadow Stepped to the next site to wait for Nicholas and Perenelle.

.

Nicholas and Perenelle arrived at the location they could observe the second house from, to see Sirius and Bill already waiting for them. "How did you go?" Nicholas asked, curious as to why the pair had beat them there.

Bill broke out into laughter again, and he was joined this time by Sirius' barking laugh.

"I got a little carried away in the adrenaline I think." Sirius admitted with a toothy grin.

"What did you do this time, Sirius?" Perenelle said with a bored tone, the thought of Sirius being carried away in the moment was not a foreign one to her.

"He put too much power into an explosion hex and the house just about collapsed on itself." Bill said with a large smirk. "I'm just glad he went first."

"And right you are, Bill." Nicholas said with a stern look at Sirius. "If Bill was inside already and you got 'carried away' Sirius, he would have went home in pieces. Ginny would have been distraught at the loss of another family member." Sirius looked down dejectedly. "You do know that Harry and Ginny both take their power very seriously."

"Yes I know, it was a mistake…" Sirius admitted sombrely "… I promise it won't happen again."

Nicholas just nodded to Sirius and Bill, accepting that a mistake was made, and hoped they would both learn from it, as he re-focused himself on his target.

.

Neville and Grace had quickly dispatched no less than 5 Death Eaters at their first target location, then Shadow Stepped to meet with Ginny and Harry for their next target. The second house could only be described as a Death Eater Safe House. Neville was surprised that it wasn't made unplottable, and wasn't under the Fidelius Charm. In fact, there were very little wards on the home. What wards did exist could rather simply be overloaded with their power.

Barely a moment after Neville and Grace had arrived, Harry and Ginny appeared momentarily, before they nodded quickly and vanished again.

Grace and Neville shortly after, Shadow Stepped to the house. They were immediately confronted with the sounds of explosions and yelling from the other side of the home, Ginny and Harry obviously in combat already. Then a wash of cold and fear crashed over them, the largest Dementor they'd ever seen glided over to them.

.

Harbinger and Interfector came under immediate assault when they landed. A Sickly Green curse sailed through the air where the pair had been momentarily, before they both dove to the sides, rolling to their feet.

Corban Yaxley, and at least twenty other masked Death Eaters stood before them, throwing curses. Yaxley was cackling with laughter while the group was shooting spells at the two Vigilantes. "Do you think we wouldn't detect you?" He taunted, "You're reconnaissance was sloppy, our wards picked you up as soon as you arrived. We were ready for you! _CRUCIO!"_ Yaxley aimed the torture curse at the one with the Green eyes and weapons.

Interfector then disappeared, reappearing on the roof of the home, whilst she let Harbinger cut through the Death Eaters with ease. She watched as he let go, and his power exploded around him, causing the ground to rumble beneath them, and the Death Eaters to recoil in terror at the magnitude of his power.

From her safe place atop the house, Interfector watched as Harbinger cut a swathe through the Death Eaters, flowing with liquidity as he blocked, dodged and cut through spells and people alike. _'Keep them occupied love, I will make sure Yaxley can't escape.'_ Ginny thought to him, hoping not to be much of a distraction as he was rather pressed with the current number of spells flooding over his position. She was confident he could handle it though.  
 _'Yes Dear.'_ He replied in his mind with a mental smirk. _'You know, I'm glad I can be of use to you while you watch on.'_ He teased lightly.  
 _'Damn you look sexy while you are moving like that, I can't wait to watch this again in the Pensieve later.'_ She teased back to him, and she felt his blush at the comment, she was glad however that he didn't show it in his fighting as he continued at the same pace and consistency as before.

As Harbinger whittled down their numbers Interfector waited patiently for an opening, then when there was only a handful of their enemies left, she saw her opportunity. Yaxley had broken from the pack in order to flee and save himself, in true Slytherin and Death Eater style, but that wasn't happening today. She Shadow Stepped in front of him, causing him to stop in his tracks, eyes wide in fear. Then without hesitation, Interfector slammed her bright Green Glaive through his chest, and saw the light leave his cold dark eyes, as the blade glowed slightly, absorbing his magic, while his life left his body. She then removed it and re-joined Harbinger, quickly eliminating their remaining foes with ease.

As Harbinger cut down his last target, a blood curdling scream stopped them cold. ' _Grace',_ Ginny thought, as she quickly Shadow Stepped out to the front yard to see the largest Dementor they had ever seen had bore down on Grace, while she stood protectively over Neville's prone form. Her blue aura more ablaze than they had ever seen it as she was attempting to hold off the creature with a Fire Patronus that was quickly dulling.

The Dementor was over twelve feet tall, and was wider than the usual creature. It looked like a normal Dementor apart from that, with the exception of a blackness that radiated outward from the creature. It was as though thousands of souls were crying out in despair and agony, creating a well of shadow behind the creature.

Ginny instantly Shadow Stepped behind the creature and slightly above it, as she fell she drove her Glaives into the tops of its shoulders, hoping to use gravity to slice it into ribbons, however that wouldn't be the case. She hung onto her weapons, unable to cut through the creature, it was too tough and her weapons were stuck. She looked down and noticed she was around ten feet off the ground. She kept wrenching down on her weapons, attempting to get them to cut through.

' _Gin, DUCK!'_ She heard in her head, and she reacted instantly dropping her height, as Harry's red Glaive slammed into the back of the creature's head, having been thrown from a distance by him. The creature screeched a horrible sound and turned to face him and for the first time that night she felt the cold chill of fear, watching her husband stare down this massive oppressive form as she hung onto the creature's back, attempting to remove her Glaives.

.

Grace was glad for the respite that the arrival of Harry and Ginny brought as her knees began to buckle with the exhaustion, however she still was struggling with her magic, for what Ginny and Harry didn't see before they arrived was that the Dementor had drawn the life force and soul out of Neville, without so much as touching him. Having seen it was possible from the memory of Harry and Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets, Grace was currently struggling to contain what she knew to be everything that Neville was, and feed it back into his body using her magic.

With supreme effort and a shout of frustration, she finally heard Neville gasp a breath of air again, feeding the last of the surplus of Blue Aura into Neville, she collapsed on top of him, out cold.

.

" _IGNIS PATRONUM"_ Harry roared, as his Wolf Patronus exploded from his wand tip, and grabbed hold of a hand of the Dementor, starting to shake it, attempting to tear it apart. _'Gin, cast it through your Glaives, it might hurt it.'_ Harry thought to her.

The creature jerked and shook as Harry's wolf attacked its hand, shaking her grip from one of her Glaives. Seeing as it was easier for her to reach, she swung up and grabbed hold of Harry's that he had thrown. " _IGNIS PATRONUM"_ She yelled, using thoughts of Harry, the one person who truly understood her, the person she loved with everything she had, the one person in this world she couldn't live without as they were one. As she cast the spell, she felt her aura explode to life, the Red flame and Golden sphere instantly began eating away at the creature. An unearthly scream erupted from the mouth of the creature, as did a fiery glow from her Patronus taking form from within the creature.

The Dementor began to shudder violently, then, with another ungodly wail, it exploded. Ginny was sent flying backwards from the explosion. Harry quickly Shadow Stepped behind her and caught her, Shadow Stepping back to the ground so they didn't get hurt with their velocity if they collided with anything.

Ginny sighed in relief, then turned to face her husband still in his arms. He had removed his hood and she reached a hand up to his face, removing her own hood as she was looking up into his eyes. She felt herself melt in them as she always did, Harry then lowered her to the ground gently so she could stand, as he did she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him with a searing kiss that put everything she felt for him into the kiss, everything that powered her Patronus, he returned the kiss with ardour. She felt that Harry used the same thoughts for his Patronus, but of her.

When they broke apart, struggling for breath and blushing from the intensity of the kiss, they looked around and noticed the air seemed to shimmer with Magic, which was slowly dissipating. Little white lights seeming to be floating off into the nether.

"It feels like…" Harry begun.

"Power... souls…" Ginny whispered as she looked around, "There must be thousands."

"Oh shit… Neville and Grace!" Harry said as he grabbed Ginny's hand, they ran over to the prone forms of the pair.

Ginny bent down and felt for a pulse on each of them while Harry stood guard and summoned their weapons. Making sure that no Death Eater whether hidden or left alive could ambush them. He handed Ginny her Glaives which were now in wand form again.

"They're both alive, Harry." Ginny said softly, she waved a wand over them. "Just unconscious."

"Let's get them back to the Manor love." Harry whispered as he leant down, taking her hand. She nodded and grabbed Grace's hand, Harry bent over and grabbed Neville's. Once they had the pair of them firmly in their grasp, they Shadow Stepped.

* * *

Moments after they departed, Ginny and Harry arrived in the sitting room of Potter Manor with Neville and Grace firmly in their grasp.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" Sirius yelled as he ran over in a panic.

Harry stood and took a defensive stance, his Godfather had never held such a wild look on his face. With a quick release of power he blew Sirius off his feet, knocking him to the ground a few feet backwards. "Calm down Sirius." Harry growled darkly, in a tone that immediately took the breath out of Sirius' lungs as he cowered under the power that was his Godson.

Ginny looked up at her husband, she understood his mood before she even looked at him. He was still a little on edge from fighting the Dementor that was so resilient, as was she, they were unsure of what it really was and if there was more of them.

' _Harry, I'm going to take these two to bed, they need their rest and won't get it down here.'  
'Okay love.'_ Harry replied in her mind.

Ginny Shadow Stepped up to the bedroom Neville and Grace shared when they stayed at the Manor, she tucked them into bed. Just as she was about to Shadow Step back to Harry's side, Fawkes appeared on the nightstand in a flash of fire.

Still a little jumpy, Ginny spun and raised her wands, directing them threateningly at the bird that had startled her. Fawkes gave her an imperceptible nod, and begun to sing his phoenix song. Against her will, she felt her mood lift, as she calmed and lowered her wands. She nodded in return and Shadow Stepped back to the sitting room.

When she arrived, it appeared Harry had defused the situation. Hermione was still looking wary, as was Remus. But Bill and Sirius were rather calm.

Knowing in the back of her mind where Harry had left the conversation until she arrived, Ginny began to explain what happened. Once she had recounted the story, and Harry had fetched the body of Yaxley placing it in the dungeons under a preservation charm, they resumed their debrief of the mission.

"Can I see your memory of the Dementor?" Hermione whispered, and Harry nodded, summoning the Pensieve. She, Remus, Bill, Sirius and the Flamels all entered the memory to observe their battle.

Ginny and Harry sat on the couch. Harry snaked an arm around her waist, as she scooted closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

' _What do you think it was?'_ Harry asked through their link.  
 _'I really don't know…'_  
 _'A Dementor on an Engorgement Charm.'_ Harry almost chuckled, _'I really hope there aren't any more of those, they're terrifying… how were the Death Eaters living with it when it was so resistant to OUR Patronus'?'_

Ginny just shook her head as they sat their drawing comfort from one another as Harry held her tightly. They thought they had just about caused the Dementors to become extinct, but now there was a new one, a larger and far superior breed.

It wasn't long before the others re-joined them, emerging from the Pensieve as a group. Harry and Ginny had their eyes shut resting on each other for comfort, feeling their love for one another through their bond.

Sirius saw them, they looked so peaceful as opposed to when he saw them fighting the Death Eaters and the Dementor. Instantly he felt regret for the way he had acted, knowing now that what the four went through was caused by himself, Bill and the Flamels being detected in their reconnaissance.

Sirius walked over to where the resting couple were sitting and knelt before them. "Harry, Ginny…" He began. "I'm so sorry for the way I reacted when you two appeared, I was just so scared that they were hurt." A tear tracked from Sirius' eye. "Grace… She's practically a daughter to me, and when I saw you both holding them, and they weren't moving… I… I'm sorry…"

"You're already forgiven Sirius." Harry said softly, not opening his eyes or moving from his position with Ginny, he was enjoying the fantastic smell of her hair too much. He turned to bury his face in her hair and breathed deeply, while Ginny relished in the feeling of having her husband so close, the feelings that were washing over him, feelings that were created by her proximity to him. She let a smile slip, thoroughly enjoying the closeness as they always had. For them, they were just happy that they were still able to hold one another after a battle that intense.

"Guys…" Hermione said softly. Ginny and Harry immediately opened their eyes and turned to meet hers, she sounded serious and slightly scared. "I _think_ you killed the Alpha Dementor…" at the group's confused looks she launched into explanation. "Every magical creature has an Alpha, a first of its kind and mutated from something else, it is usually stronger and far more resilient than the rest. I'm actually fairly certain you two just killed the Alpha Dementor…" Hermione halted before continuing, "Some Magical Creatures are closely linked, while others are rather independent. We will need to wait and see what happens with the rest of the Dementors over the next few days, but I think we will find that the few that are left will be affected in some way, most likely weakened if another Alpha can't be initiated, or created or however it works. And knowing the damage you two did to the Dementors up until now, I don't think there will be enough to create another Alpha… The Dementors may become extinct… I for one am glad..." Hermione lectured, now beaming at the pair of them.

"Well, we will just have to wait and see with that piece of news then." Nicholas said with an air of authority in his voice that Hermione submitted to. "Harry, what did you have planned for Yaxley?"

Harry merely smirked darkly in response, as did Ginny.

* * *

Grace flung into an upright position, gasping. All she remembered was fighting for her husband's life as she clung onto his soul with all her magic. It drained her to the point where she passed out. She looked down and saw Neville sleeping peacefully, curled up against her. She smiled, then looking around the room she realised that they were in their room at Potter Manor. It was late, so she thought she mustn't have been out long.

With a thankful expression and a silent thanks to Harry and Ginny she lay back down beside her husband she trailed her finger softly across Neville's palm.

It didn't take long for him to stir and wake. "Grace…" He mumbled as he woke, looking around he saw the room they were in and it took him by surprise. ' _What the…'_ he thought to himself.

Grace had a quizzical expression on her face then it cleared into one of relief. She reached out to Neville, taking his face in her hands and guided him down to her. They kissed with the passion that they thought they might have lost that night. Once they broke, and Grace had reclaimed her breath, a thought ran through her head. _'Thank God for Harry and Ginny, he's alright.'  
'What the…?'_ Neville thought again, the errant thoughts that weren't his running through his head.

"What the shit?" Grace said in a loud whisper. The pair stared at each other a moment, minds and mouths silent as they attempted to process what they had just experienced.

"I see you have discovered your bond, young fledglings." Fawkes trilled to the pair as he fluttered down to the bed to observe the pair of them. "This is a good thing, like Harry and Ginevra, your souls have joined together."

"What the fuck?" Neville whispered.

* * *

Harry and Ginny had just returned from their evening out, explaining what they had done with Yaxley, when Pyrignis, the Flamel's Phoenix flashed into the room, trilling to him softly. Nicholas and Perenelle both nodded and excused themselves, making their way upstairs to speak with the newest bonded couple. Harry and Ginny followed them with their eyes as they left, wondering what news the Flamels Phoenix could have brought.

Nicholas knocked on the door to the Longbottom's room softly, "Come in…" He heard the voice of a young woman call out.

"Ah, good, you two are up." Nicholas said gently as he entered the room, seeing the young pair sitting together on the end of the bed, appearing to be conversing with their Phoenix. "After Harry and Ginny killed that Alpha, and seeing what the two of you went through, I partly expected the pair of you to be out for at least a week. You have only been asleep a day."

A small smile tugged at Grace's lips, and then a questioning look. "An Alpha?"

"Yes, Hermione has done some research and is certain it's the Dementor Alpha, the most powerful Dementor there is," Perenelle explained, "She has now discovered not just any Dementor can be the Alpha, but the first of its kind."

"And they killed it?" Neville said bewildered, he hadn't stood a chance against it, remembering how his Patronus was practically swallowed up by the darkness surrounding the creature as it made its way forward to him. "I really want to see how they did that…" Neville whispered in awe. _'To think we didn't stand a chance…'_ He finished his thought to Grace.  
 _'I could barely hold it off alone…'_ Grace thought and Neville felt a cold shiver work its way up his spine at the thought of losing Grace to that monster.

"Yes, but it was no easy task." Nicholas said, mollifying Neville and Grace in the process. "It took the combined powers of their Glaives, Auras and Patroni to take it down, it was quite the sight, but we can show you that later, we wish to talk to you about your bond."

"Fawkes was just explaining that to us." Grace said softly. "He told us it's akin to Harry and Ginny's, but not at the same time."

"That is true, Harry and Ginny bonded very tightly and on a very deep level, one that would be impossible to replicate again." Nicholas said with a thoughtful expression, rubbing his forefinger and thumb over the stubble on his chin. "With their bonds their power is multiplied multiple times, it's really quite astounding. Although I am actually surprised their bodies haven't burned up with the magnitude of power they've shown, or perhaps the bonds prevent that… There is still so much we don't know… and much we never will" Nicholas mused.

"What bond do we have then?" Neville asked in a hushed tone, Grace looked at him then back to the Flamels, she had the exact same question on her mind, and she silently wondered if this was how Harry and Ginny were all the time, constantly voicing each other's thoughts, thinking on things together, coming to conclusions much faster than they normally would. It's as if the bond wanted them to be smarter, thinking in parallel.

"Join your hands and we shall find out." Perenelle said with a soft smile.

Neville and Grace scooted closer together on the bed with smiles on their faces, Neville taking Grace's hand in his, and snaking the other around her back, she mirrored his movement. She looked into his eyes, and was nearly overwhelmed for a moment, feeling something foreign to her. It was his love for her, and it was almost overwhelming. She revelled in it and smiled a brilliant smile back to him, which made his face light up.

Nicholas took no time in waving his wand over the pair of them, and confirming that the two of them had forged a bond. Not one but two. "Incredible," he whispered softly.

"Indeed." Perenelle also whispered.

"What's wrong?" Grace asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong." Nicholas said with a reassuring smile, "on the whole something very lovely has happened. Grace what you did to save Neville was selfless, you almost died in the process, but as neither of you did a bond formed between you, a bond of pure love. As you two were already completely in love and dedicated to one another, another thing happened, supposedly impossible, but it happened anyway, simply put, a lot of magic was involved. Your souls decided that you two, due to your love and dedication to each other, were meant for one another and bonded in a soul bond, like Harry and Ginny."

"No way…" Grace whispered softly, a smile forming on her face, Neville looked over to his wife, and now bond-mate wearing a broad smile too.

"It's true." Perenelle said with a soft smile, "however, the Potters share three bonds, Power, Love and Soul, their situation was unique in a different way, where you two share Soul and Love bonds. You two were not true soul-mates as Harry and Ginny were, it is sort of forced by the nature of your bonding, therefore it is not quite as powerful, however you two are most certainly now bonded, and share in all the wonders of the bond. You will be able to think to each other, maybe share some senses and enjoy the sensation of feeling your partner's' emotions, we aren't really too sure."

"Harry and Ginny have all that?" Grace asked almost jealous of the pair and what they've had since before she met them, but now happy that they would get to experience the same.

"Yes, they have for a few years now, as their bond has developed rather quickly, yours too will develop and strengthen more with time." Perenelle explained while Nicholas nodded. "Your power will also be multiplied, so ensure you are incredibly careful whilst casting spells, a simple cutting curse could cleave entire buildings in two."

Neville and Grace both gaped. They knew Harry and Ginny were strong, but had no idea that their massive powers stemmed from a multiplying effect from their bond. They both silently resolved that they would like to have a long and meaningful chat with their friends so they knew what to expect. They loved the Flamels, but they felt more like parental figures, and this bonding felt so intimate that they could only discuss it with the closest people in their lives, and for them that was the Potters.

"I believe it is time the five of you time-turn and set your alibi." Nicholas said with a smile. Grace and Neville nodded to the pair, standing almost shakily before heading downstairs to meet with their friends.

"Thankyou… Both…" Grace said quietly, Nicholas and Perenelle simply nodded in response with a smirk.

.

"Hey you two." Sirius said softly, as he saw Grace and Neville enter the room. Sirius made his way over to his surrogate daughter, one of the girls both he and Remus had grown to know so well, and think of as their own. "You scared us," he whispered in Grace's ear, then took Neville into a hug too before he backed up allowing Remus to make his way over and hug the pair as well.

Neville nodded slowly to Sirius. "Sorry about that mate, we didn't expect to meet something of that calibre there. I'm glad to hear you two took care of it though." Neville said, nodding to his best mate and the young woman who he thought of as his sister in-law more and more each day.

Harry stood from his seat on the couch and made his way over to Neville, Ginny did the same. They both could sense something different about the pair through their magical perception, it felt like Grace and Neville were no less than two individual people, but more intertwined than they were before, much more powerful too.

' _They Bonded…'_ Ginny thought wide eyed, Harry immediately stood straighter and looked at Neville with a more intense expression.

Neville smirked and nodded to the two before he added, "I think us four should sit down later and have a chat." Harry smiled a little wider, he then seen Nicholas and Perenelle walk down the stairs behind the pair and they nodded to him as well.

' _They have, this is interesting. Neville and Grace will no doubt want to know more about us.'_ Harry thought to Ginny who had hugged into his side.  
' _Well, they'll now know how private and intimate something like this is now, so I don't mind sharing a little with them…'_ Ginny thought in return. She was wholly happy for her friends. They were both lovely people, and if they were bonded even a third as tightly as Harry and she were then she was sure they deserved the wonderful gift that the bond was.

"Nicholas said we should go set our Alibi." Grace said with a smile.

Hermione walked up to the four and nodded, "Yes, we should go back to Friday dinner, then relax the weekend, it's been a long two days. I for one am happy tomorrow will be a Saturday again, I do have a few essays I need to get on top of." She said as she smirked.

' _I have a husband I need to get on top of…'_ Ginny thought suggestively to Harry, causing everyone's eyes to fall to him as he blushed fiercely.

The group of five Shadow Stepped back to Harry and Ginny's room, when Neville and Grace arrived, a shower of sparks erupted from them, proving beyond doubt to Harry and Ginny that the pair had indeed bonded, they were already experiencing the multiplying effect on their Magical Power. They were composed however as Neville nodded to Harry, showing that he was still in control, even if he did over-do the power a little.

The group time turned back twenty-four hours had a lovely dinner, Neville and Grace could barely go through the dinner without talking through their bond, smiling and touching one another. To any observer it would seem as though they were simply a pair of young newlyweds deeply in love, to Harry and Ginny however, it merely showed that the pair were communicating silently and enjoying one of the benefits of their newly forged bond. The thought made Harry and Ginny smile.

The five young Gryffindors spent the Friday evening in the Common Room, with Fred and George Weasley, as well as Katie Bell joining them. They conjured a few extra couches, sitting together by the fire drinking Butterbeer, playing various games and chatting well into the evening before they all retired for the night. It was an evening expected of teenagers, no war, no hard conversations. Just friends and fun.

Harry and Ginny retired to their bedroom for a rather late, and not so quiet night in.

* * *

Gordon Steevens enjoyed his work. Some would call it glum and boring, others - the Pureblood Supremacists in particular - would look down upon him in disgust for being a Ministry cleaner, however the truth was he wasn't particularly skilled with magic, but he did excel in three or four spells which were incredibly useful in the cleaning profession, which caused him to be exceptional in his work.

When he was called back to the Ministry Atrium to clean up a spill of red liquid in the same spot for the third time that Monday morning he found himself flustered, his supervisor and someone by the name of Dawlish who had slipped in the puddle and now looking like he was bleeding severely from his rear, demanded that he clean it in front of him.

He cleaned the puddle rather quickly, getting a sense of Deja-Vu as it really was the third time he had cleaned it, the puddle was even the same size as it was earlier that morning. It wasn't until a drip of the red stuff fell from above him onto his bald head did he look up. The other two that were with him looked in the same direction and immediately adopted a look of Horror.

Floating not far from the roof of the Atrium, suspended by magic in a crucifixion pose, was Corban Yaxley. His robes were glistening with blood, stemming from a wound in his chest, the sleeves of his arms removed, exposing the Dark Mark on his wand arm for all to see.

" _Finite"_ John Dawlish said, wand pointed to the man. He had hoped to lower the man to the ground, however he wasn't as quick at the casting as he would have liked to have been, and this caused Yaxley to simply drop from the ceiling, free falling the three stories to the ground with a loud SPLAT!

A woman screamed as she was covered from head to toe in a misting of blood, the Dark Mark of the man before her staring up at her in the face.

As the woman screamed, it seemed to trigger a Disillusionment Charm which covered the circumference of the Ministry Atrium. On closer inspection, curious Ministry employees found that there were pictures of Yaxley, Malfoy, the late Cornelius Fudge and many others raping and torturing countless women at various locations.

Many in the atrium looked around in Horror as they observed the photos, and detailed observation documents, as well as locations and dates that many recognised as the handwriting of their previous Minister.

A crackle of sparks above the statue in the centre of the room drew everyone's attention away from the evidence lining the walls. They saw Interfector levitating above the statue, Glaive in one hand, wand in the other as she cast a spell above her.

' _A Purge is coming.'_ Was read in golden fire writing above her, then in red and green flame below it, two Glaives crossed, before more writing appeared as Interfector vanished in a swirl of shadowy smoke, _'Followers of Darkness Beware!'_

* * *

 _A/N:_ I would like to apologise for the delay in getting this chapter out. No excuses, the Real Life train continues and it can't be stopped. My Beta and I have been exceptionally busy over the last month, work for me, study for he.

You may see this chapter re-uploaded in the future having had more attention from Tom, however as it is i have placed it up to hopefully sate some readers that have no doubt been anxious, therefore i apologise for grammatical errors, or spelling oversights.

I give my thanks for all the positive reviews and PMs i receive. I enjoy them.

The negative ones i have a laugh at, unless they actually offer something constructive.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9. This Soul, shall be my shield.**

A.N. - Just a quick forewarning, this chapter has a bit of darkness in it. There is a H/G sex scene straight up (consensual, but if you want to skip it ctrl+f the phrase "\scene"). Later in the chapter there's rape and torture (non descriptive in comparison, talking about it in the past tense)

I don't like rape, or even really talk of it. But the Death Eaters and Voldemort are pieces of shit, and let's face it, it happens in our world all too often. My personal view on the topic, it makes my blood boil, be it in fics or in conversation. This note is just to point out that I am opposed to it on the whole.

* * *

.

* * *

Ginny awoke early, she was wrapped completely by her Husband and Bond-mate, Harry. As she snuggled back into him, she relished in the warmth of his touch on her bare flesh, he was spooning her, wrapping her in his arms as his hands had found their way, in the night, to the soft mounds of flesh on her chest.

Feeling something growing between her legs, Ginny noted that Harry was beginning to get morning wood. She smirked, the passion the pair enjoyed the night before should have sated her desires for him, however her dream left her slightly flustered. Harry's hands weren't helping her desires fade, the cupping of her breasts causing his fingers to pinch her nipple lightly, and the growing manhood of her husband beginning to press against her and she quickly felt her lust building within her.

Deciding to act on her growing lust and desire, Ginny shifted her hips slightly, causing Harry's hardness to rub against the sensitive spot she wanted it to. Her movement had caused Harry to tighten his hold on her chest, as he unconsciously squeezed her breasts. Ginny felt her nipples harden as Harry squeezed her, and she let out a quiet moan in pleasure as the tingling sensation that his movement caused, radiated through her.

Ginny slid herself against Harry's length slowly as she felt herself becoming slick at the excitement of what was to come and of waking Harry in such an intimate moment. She slid her hips as far forward as she could, her desire mounting, reaching down, she took Harry's length in hand and directed it exactly where she wanted it to go.

As Ginny shifted her hips backward slowly, she felt Harry's length go deep within her and she let out a long slow guttural moan at the sensations and the feeling of having her Bond-Mate within her, filling her completely, made exactly for her.

As Ginny continued to slide her hips slowly, then she heard as groan and a gasp from behind her, it appeared Harry had awoken finally. "Gin…" Harry groaned as his hands squeezed her breasts, and he pushed forwards into her depth, both actions causing her to moan in pleasure.

"Harry…" Ginny whispered, her voice completely filled with the lust she felt for Harry. He removed a hand from one of Ginny's breasts, trailing it down her stomach, lightly stroking her smooth shaven pubic mound before he slid one finger lower and touched her sensitive nub.

"Oh!" Ginny gasped at the new sensation, pressure mounting within her. Harry sliding in and out of her slowly, lightly rubbing her nub, and squeezing her breast with her free hand. She felt herself pushing backwards into Harry, eager to get more and more of him as he continued his actions.

Little moans were escaping her lips, betraying her and exposing the true depths of her pleasure to her Bond-Mate as she felt herself heating up with the intensity of the inferno of pleasure building within her. Ginny then felt the hot breath of Harry's against the back her neck as he started kissing his way to her shoulders, nibbling at her flesh lightly as he did. Her lust and pleasure grew with each action he took, she felt her body quickly getting away from her in its pleasure, as she let out a little whimper and sped up her actions, eager to get more of him.

As Harry continued his movements, he shifted his position slightly to continue kissing her shoulders. Harry's change in position caused a chain reaction within Ginny, she felt the position change put pressure on something inside of her, but in the best way.

As the intensity of their pleasure increased, so did their tempo, and it wasn't long until Ginny found her lips betraying her further, as she begun letting forth drawling moans of pleasure and groaning out her Bond-Mates name.

Before they knew it their bodies were slapping together with pleasure as they met each other's thrusts with intensity and force in their passion and need of one another. "Oh Ginevra Potter, you are amazing…" Harry groaned out, as he continued massaging Ginny's nub and breast. That did it for Ginny as she arched back into Harry's hot body, allowing wave after wave of orgasm to crash over her.

"Oh Merlin, Harry Potter!" Ginny moaned loudly. Her orgasm didn't leave her as Harry began to fill her with his seed, giving her the most intensely full feeling, her orgasm was fed by his pleasure through the bond, increasing her own.

As their bodies slowed down, allowing her to catch her breath, Harry began peppering kisses along her back, neck and shoulders.

"That was the most brilliant way to wake up." He whispered to her in between kisses.

Ginny found herself giggling as Harry continued to drag his lips across her body. "I had a rather… interesting dream…" She whispered to him, causing him and herself to smirk. "It wasn't much different to that really."

"Well, I'm glad I could assist you in the retelling of your dream." Harry said as he pulled her close to himself again, and breathed deeply. Ginny knew he was taking in the scent of her hair, and she loved that it was so irresistible to him.

Ginny waved her hand absently in front of her, causing the time to appear in the air in front of the wall. "Mmm we're late for class Harry…" Ginny groaned out, not wanting to move from the spot.

"No… not moving yet." Harry laughed, the rumble of his laugh, causing both of them to vibrate slightly, and the feeling of Harry still within her had Ginny moving again, wanting more of what she just had.

\scene

* * *

When the pair finally got up, showered and Time-Turned back early enough to make it to the Great Hall for breakfast, they found themselves in the awkward position of seeing their past selves in the act that caused them to be late in the first place.

Not wanting to disturb themselves they Shadow Stepped out, "Seeing ourselves like that kind of turned me on a little, Harry." Ginny whispered as she snuggled into his side on the walk down from the Gryffindor Tower. "But I don't think I could handle that again for at least a few hours."

Harry chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist as they continued into the Great Hall. "Potter!" Harry heard his name being called from across the Entrance Hall when they'd arrived and groaned.

Harry turned to find Pansy Parkinson and her crew stalking up to him. "You and your whore should really be more careful walking around alone." She sneered to him and Ginny. Harry growled in response but held his temper. "My _Boyfriend_ tells me the Dark Lord is coming for you, and he will strike when you least expect it."

Harry yawned, tightening his hold on Ginny showing he was in control of his emotions. He was aware there were various Professors watching the altercation, waiting to intercept them in case violence broke out. "Pansy." Harry said as he finished his yawn, "Draco made exactly the same threats about Voldemort and his supposed killing of me, and where is he now? The last time Voldemort and Harry Potter met, it was Harry who walked away, while Voldemort didn't walk anywhere for a long time." Harry chuckled and Ginny smirked, no one knew about the confrontation of the very whole Riddle getting the edge on Harry as Harbinger, as no one here knew that was really him, especially the Death Eaters. "You know, it's funny really…"

"What's funny?" Pansy said now curious.

"Draco, one of your inbred cousins no doubt," Harry taunted, causing Ginny to chuckle and Pansy to grimace in anger. "If an Auror were to hear you were talking to him, you'd be arrested."

Pansy opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off by Bridgette Yaxley, who was no doubt angered by Harry's tongue. "You'll regret your words, Potter." Bridgette sneered, as they shoved past Harry and Ginny. "Your toy there will regret them more." She tossed over her shoulder making her way to the Slytherin table, followed by the others.

' _I take it she hasn't heard her dad is dead yet then?'_ Harry asked Ginny through the bond with a smirk.  
' _Doubt it, she wouldn't be acting so superior if she knew. Seriously though, where is their subtlety, I mean they practically said the bogeyman is coming for me specifically… I thought Slytherin's were meant to be cunning...'_ Ginny thought back, as they started walking to their seats at the Gryffindor Table. She then smiled over her shoulder to Harry. "I don't mind being your toy if you'll play with me like this morning." Ginny whispered huskily, causing Harry to chuckle and blush at the same time.

"What's got you looking so red this morning Harry?" Hermione said with a smirk in Ginny's direction before she took her seat opposite them.

"Nothing at all Hermione," then with a quick change of topic. "Any word on our little present we left at the Ministry?"

Hermione shook her head as the Twins and Katie joined them. George sitting next to Hermione, as she reached for his hand under the table. "I heard from Percy that those Death Eaters that were captured at Dad's funeral escaped from the Ministry." Fred said airily as he served himself some bacon and eggs from a platter that appeared in front of him.

"Heard anything about it you guys?" George finished for his brother.

Harry frowned at the mention of the escapees, Ginny had worked hard along with many others. Some were injured as they fought to capture so many. _'That's why we shoot to kill, Harry.'_ Ginny thought to him, picking up his errant thoughts and souring mood.

Harry shook his head. "Haven't heard a thing about it, Gred."

"Pity, I hope those bastards that were captured get caught," George said.  
"Or killed," Fred said with a smirk.  
"Or worse, expelled." They both said together with a smirk toward Hermione, who looked at them in confusion before it dawned on her that she had said something along those lines before. She then blushed and smacked at George's arm playfully.

"Trust you two to turn anything into a joke." Hermione said, still smiling at them, as she leaned up and gave George a peck on the cheek.

Ginny laughed as did Harry, he was under Dumbledore's Imperious at that time, but he did remember most of what happened whilst he was under the influence.  
Harry's eyes unconsciously sought out Ron, who was sitting with Dean and Seamus, looking as though he was enjoying himself. They hadn't heard from Ron in quite a while, and they were glad for it.

Neville and Grace joining the table brought Harry back to the present. "Hey guys, what'd we miss?"

"Death Eaters escaped the Ministry... Parkinson's crew threatened us again, well me at least..." Ginny rattled off absently in between bites of her scrambled egg.

Neville just nodded and looked to Grace who just shrugged. "Do you guys think Pansy will try whatever she has up her sleeve soon?" Neville asked Harry and Ginny quietly.

"Maybe," Ginny shrugged, voicing her and Harry's thoughts. "It's me they're targeting, they basically told us just before." Ginny gestured to the entrance hall with her fork. "We didn't think to use Legilimency on them again, but I'm sure the opportunity will come about again soon. They're far too self-assured."

The others nodded in return to her assumption. Harry and Ginny stood not long after that to make their way down to their Potions class.

* * *

Potions, without Snape was always enjoyable. The Slytherins were kept in check by Professor Flanagan, causing Parkinson and her goons to keep quiet and perform their assigned tasks.

When the group returned to the Gryffindor Table for lunch they saw Bridgette Yaxley being walked out of the Great Hall by Professors McGonagall and Umbridge, causing Harry, Ginny and the others to know what was coming. _'Here's hoping that she leaves the school.'_ Ginny thought to Harry absently as they took their seats to eat.  
 _'I doubt it, she is on a Mission for Voldemort, probably to get the Dark Mark herself, she's one of those that won't stop until she's torn apart.'_ Harry responded darkly.

Ginny reached over and took Harry's hand in hers and squeezed it, Harry found himself squeezing back and they both remained holding hands until the Owls arrived with an emergency bulletin.

The Emergency Ministry Bulletin brought the news that Yaxley had been removed from the running, and the Wizarding World, it left out the gore filled details such as him being left at the Ministry, but it was assumed by Harry and the others that it was the Wizengamot that silenced that portion of the news.

As Professor McGonagall returned, with Bridgette Yaxley in tow, she had a few words to some other Slytherin students and one Ravenclaw, who all abandoned their meals to follow the Headmistress from the Great Hall.

Professor Flitwick stood at the front of the Great Hall to address the students, no doubt standing on his chair. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is true that Mr. Yaxley has been attacked viciously by the Vigilantes. In actual fact, we have reports that they attacked many homes throughout the countryside." Professor Flitwick squeaked out, then looked around the room and sighed. "Many students may have lost loved ones, I ask that you show compassion where it is needed."

Flitwick then took his seat as the Great Hall slowly returned to its din, as the students discussed what was said.

The Headmistress made her way up to the front of the hall and called for silence. "Good Afternoon students, I trust your studies are going well. The former Acting Minister for Magic Amelia Bones made an announcement this morning while you were in your first lessons. Due to the Death of a Running candidate, Mr. Corban Yaxley, the Wizengamot has stepped in and forgone the election to declare a state of emergency, due to an act of war from these Vigilantes.

"In doing so, they have placed the now Minister Pius Thicknesse in the position of Minister for Magic. Now I know you have many questions, and we will address them when we can, however now is not the time or place. The school will continue as usual, as I do not believe that these Vigilantes are a threat to any student." McGonagall finished and looked around the hall before taking their seats.

' _Unexpected, but not unworkable.'_ Harry thought to Ginny.  
' _When we checked them all out, Thicknesse wanted nothing to do with blood status did he?'_ Ginny asked scratching her head trying to remember which candidate was which.  
' _Yeah, Gin._ ' Harry responded. _'He and Scrimgeour were both alright.'_

Hedwig arrived for Harry, she had a letter attached to her leg. "Hey girl." Harry said softly as he stroked her soft plumage. "What have you got for me today?" He asked as he offered her a piece of bacon in exchange for the letter.

' _Harry,  
_ _Please come and see me after breakfast in my office, the password is Tartan. You will be excused from your afternoon class.  
_ _I also request the presence of your lovely wife.  
_ _Headmistress McGonagall.'_

Harry silently showed Ginny the letter who nodded, having heard it through her thoughts.

"Guys, we've got to see the Headmistress," Harry offered, "We won't be in class."

Hermione nodded and then spoke. "I'll make sure I take accurate notes so you guys can look over them then."

"Thank you Hermione." Ginny said with a smirk as she and Harry stood to leave. _'When doesn't she take accurate notes?'  
_ Harry couldn't help but to smirk at Ginny's silent comment, and the brilliance of their friend as they left the hall. _'I wonder what McGonagall could possibly want.'_ Harry thought to Ginny.  
' _Something to do with the strikes no doubt, but she won't ask us anything directly. She's on our side remember.'_ Ginny thought to Harry as she took his hand and laced her fingers through his. Harry just nodded and continued their trek to the Headmistresses office.

"Tartan." Harry said to the stone Gargoyle that marked the staircase to the office. It nodded to him and hopped aside revealing the staircase.

"Enter!" McGonagall answered before Harry had the chance to knock. "I've always wanted to do that." She said as Harry and Ginny entered the office. "Albus used to do it all the time, now I know how it works."

"Alas Minerva, it is a secret for only the Heads of the School to know." A well-known, but thought dead voice sounded throughout the room.

Harry and Ginny sprung into action, Ginny had her Glaives out, and was crouching down, looking around for the old Headmaster. Harry had a wand and a Glaive out, spinning on the spot looking around wildly for the man he had killed. Power crackled around them as they feared that the man had come back from the dead.

Professor McGonagall chuckled. "It is good to see you two react so quickly to a threat." She said, even though she was in awe at the fact they moved with speed that looked to be impossible. "Unfortunately for me, the old meddling bastard has been re-envisioned as a Portrait." She then gestured over her shoulder to an image of their former Headmaster sitting in a portrait with a gleam in his eye.

Harry growled as he holstered his weapons. Ginny looked absolutely furious. "The piece of shit Imperious' Harry, nearly kills me and as good as kills my father himself, and he gets immortalised?" The Dumbledore portraits mouth made an O shape and then he looked down, as though he were admonished for poor behaviour.

"Unfortunately, the school doesn't see it that way, and he was never convicted of anything. Hogwarts itself simply creates a portrait of all former serving Headmasters, good and bad." Professor McGonagall said dropping her head slightly.

"Well, he isn't going to be listening to, or speaking to us anymore." Ginny said as she flicked her wand and banished the ex-headmaster from his frame.

"Where did you banish him?" Professor McGonagall asked with a rather large smile.

"There's a picture frame of a Volcano in the holding cells of Potter Manor, I sent him there." Ginny said with a grin. "It's not linked to any others in the house like here at the school. I didn't think of what it might be for until I thought I'd like to send him there." Ginny then shrugged. "So I did it anyway." Harry smirked and put his arm around Ginny's waist as he slowly relaxed.

"I will be very curious to see how long it will be until the school summons him back." The Headmistress said, a rare smirk on her face. "Regardless, onto why I asked for your presence." She then gestured for the pair before her to take a seat, and smiled at them as they sat closely. "I've already had a chat with Mr. Lupin, and he told me a rather astounding tale about a larger than life Dementor."

The Potters smirked lightly as she continued. "The repercussions of the events of that tale have resulted in the extinction of the Dementors." Ginny gasped and Harry sat there wide eyed. "There were a few Muggle Deaths, unfortunately, the Dementors didn't simply die. They exploded, and the resulting explosions caused a great many factory fires and building collapses around the world."

"I'm guessing the Ministry is a bit worried over the disappearances of their Dementors, the ones remaining within the ministry to hold captives exploded too, killing many prisoners. Only a few escaped." Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked in response to his outburst.

"Nothing ma'am, I'm just relieved. Ginny and a few others worked hard to capture those prisoners, I'm just happy so few of them escaped."

"Indeed." McGonagall eyed him momentarily before continuing, "Nevertheless, I figured I should tell you what happened, the Ministry have been Obliviating Muggles as fast as they can, and now with the Deaths of many Death Eaters, you two should keep an eye out. The Ministry has practically declared war on the Vigilantes, and I would hate to see what the Ministry would do if the Vigilantes were caught unawares." McGonagall finished, the tone of worry creeping into her voice.

Harry and Ginny nodded at the obvious warning, "Then they should keep their backs covered, at all times." Harry stated quietly, Ginny and McGonagall nodded before they were dismissed.

"Oh and you two?" Professor McGonagall said as Harry and Ginny were making their way from the door, they turned and saw the smile she was wearing and the pride in her eyes. "Keep up the good work, you make quite the team."

Harry and Ginny nodded once more as they left the Headmistresses office.

* * *

Neville was deep in thought, lying in his bed in the Married Student quarters, his wife, and now Bond-Mate Grace, who was lying beside him cuddled into his side, with her lips pressed against the side of his chest while she slept. He wanted to do something special for Grace for their first Valentine's as Husband and Wife, and now also Bond-Mates.

Grace was easily the best thing that had happened to him, with the exception of Harry's acceptance of him as a friend, leading to his training and then him becoming a vital part in their war against the tyranny of Dumbledore and Voldemort, and soon the Ministry of Magic.

Neville was still amazed at the enigma that was Harry and Ginny. He grouped them together in his thoughts, because he was certain, that ever since their Second year, the pair rarely spent more than a few minutes apart. The time that they did during their fourth year, Harry had nearly whipped up a Hurricane in his anger and despair.

Neville looked at Grace again as she lay there, and he understood why. Her soft, long dark hair, slender body, and pale skin seemed to glow whenever he was around her, he was sure of it. It made her all the more beautiful to him, and judging from the glances of his year mates, with the exception of Harry, they thought something similar.

His thoughts tracked back around to Valentine's Day. Neville wanted to do something sincere and truly special for Grace, but he was at a loss for what to do. There was no Hogsmeade weekend planned yet, which he thought odd, as McGonagall would have sorted that event already with the 14th falling on a Saturday this year, he was sure that she would have thought ahead.

He fell into a fitful sleep that night, resolving himself to talk to Harry in the morning before their day of classes began so he could plan something ahead of time.

The next morning in the Great Hall seemed louder than usual until McGonagall stood and addressed the students.

"Good morning Students." McGonagall addressed formally in her Scottish Brogue. "I would like to inform all of you, that after much deliberation between the Ministry, faculty and myself, there will be no Hogsmeade visit for Valentine's day this year, due to the…" She coughed, "Vigilantes… Excuse me."

The Great Hall, packed to the breaking point with students exploded into uproar. Angry females chattering amongst themselves as their desired boy now had nowhere to take them, annoyed males like Ron Weasley, who wanted to stock up on Zonko's supplies, and Honeydukes sweets.

Neville thought to himself that the Weasley twins looked oddly serene at that moment, probably thinking of all the pranks they could perform on couples that would no doubt venture into broom closets and unused classrooms for some 'alone time.' The twins seemed to leave the Longbottoms and Potters alone in their pranks, out of respect and possibly some fear of the retribution from their powerful wives.

"SILENCE!" McGonagall's amplified voice carried throughout the hall, drawing Neville's attention back to the Headmistress who was still standing. Grace squeezed Neville's hand, no words between them, he was still hoping that Harry could help him do something nice for her. Looking into Grace's piercing blue eyes before he looked back to McGonagall caused his heart to skip a beat, as they smiled at one another.

Neville thought McGonagall looked annoyed at the student body for their outburst, however she held her tongue from saying what she rather obviously wanted to, and continued with her announcement. "However!" She began, her anger showing through her composure. "I have decided to take an extract from the actions of Professor Lockhart, and will be hosting Valentine's Day here at Hogwarts. We shall be allowing a formal dinner to take place in the Great Hall to the theme of the day. Tables will be arranged, the sign-up sheets will be in your respective dormitories. Anyone not wishing to attend will be able to take dinner in their respective Common Rooms."

Again, the student body erupted into talk, the girls now chattering excitedly, and some moans and groans from the boys.

"BUT THERE WILL BE RULES!" McGonagall shouted over the din, which was silenced immediately at the mention of rules. "Public displays of affection will not be tolerated beyond hand holding, as I said students not signing up to the event will take dinner in their Common Rooms, and any detentions assigned from this point will immediately forbid that student from attending… _No exceptions._ " McGonagall looked around the hall, her anger seeming to slowly melt from her. "I expect nothing but the best behaviour from the students of my school. Now, you all have classes to attend."

The school immediately began flooding from the hall at the mention of classes, boys were already trying to separate the girls they wanted to ask to dinner from their friends, whereas Harry and Neville walked to their first classes hand in hand with their respective dates, wives and Bond-Mates.

"Hermione!" The group heard from behind them, it was the voice of George Weasley, "Will you be oh so kind as to accompany me to dinner this Valentine's day?"

"I would love to." Hermione said quietly with a blush, many students had looked around to see Hermione being asked by the Weasley twin.

"Excellent, I will sign us up then." George said as he made his way forward and took Hermione's hand, giving it a quick kiss before heading off to his first class of the week.

"You and George becoming more serious then, Hermione?" Grace asked casually.

"I think so, he's been acting different. Ever since the two of you got married, something's changed in him," Hermione said as she walked beside Grace, Ginny separated from Harry for the moment to join in with the girls talk. Neville took the opportunity to quietly sidle up to Harry and talk to him.

"Harry." Neville said quietly, "I want to do something special for Grace, aside from this dinner…"

"You want _my_ help?" Harry asked him, seemingly surprised that Neville would go to him for assistance in romance.

"Well, yeah…" Neville said confused by Harry's seeming confusion. "The girls here all talk about how you are easily the most romantic guy in the school, and how Ginny is so lucky."

Harry was shocked, he never did the stuff he did for Ginny to be noticed by others, and he only ever did it because he loved her. Then it struck him, his love and affection for his soul-mate was so deep that he wanted to make every possible opportunity special for her. "Neville." Harry said now knowing what the boy meant. "Whatever you do has to come from _your_ heart. Money, material items… they mean nothing if your heart isn't in it." Harry smirked, "If you think of anything or anywhere… the Potter Fortune, and _estates_ are at your disposal." Harry said estates hintingly, hoping Neville would take the bait and take Grace to somewhere special.

Neville thought for a moment, estates… "That's it…" He whispered, "Do you think I could take Grace to Australia, like you took Ginny for your winter Holiday? It's still hot over there isn't it?"

"Very." Harry whispered remembering the amazing time he had with his wife in the colony. "How are you finding the…" Harry looked around before he whispered to Neville. "Bond?" not sure if Neville wanted to make it known or not. He doubted it though.

"Great." Neville whispered. "I mean, really really great!" Neville gushed. "I really couldn't imagine going back to the way we were just a week ago. You and Ginny would know what I mean."

Harry nodded with a smirk on his face. "We sure do." Harry said softly, as he watched his Ginny walking up ahead with the other girls, feeling his affection for her she looked back over her shoulder with a suggestive smirk and seemed to wiggle her hips as she walked just a little more. "It was a touch overwhelming at first, but it sort of becomes second nature, having her so close I mean." Harry tapped his temple and then his chest with a finger.

"Yeah." Neville said, "I understand what you mean." Neville smirked watching Grace as she was walking alongside Ginny and Hermione. "We can talk too," He tapped his head and Harry nodded, "and we can feel each other's emotions and some thoughts so long as we're touching in some way."

Harry nodded, but didn't elaborate on his bond with Ginny, and Neville wasn't going to ask. "Nick said that it'll only get stronger with time, I can't wait to see what happens next." Neville smirked.

"Have you managed to get your power under control?" Harry asked him.

"Yeah, we went to the Time-Room on Sunday and spent the _day_ there." Neville smiled, looking back to Harry. "We're good now, we've got everything accounted for. Even the Obliterate."

"Good, just find your limits mate, push them, extend them, and keep training." Harry smiled at his friend.

"Thanks Harry, and thanks again for… you know... the apartment." Neville said looking slightly embarrassed.

"Make sure you think of plenty to do, down there." Harry said with a smile, happy to be able to help his friend out without telling him what to do. He was glad Neville wasn't as thick as most of the boys their age, even if they were now much older because of their training, and bonded, however it wasn't the same as his bond with Ginny. "I'll take you there later, so you know where to Shadow Step on Saturday."

Neville nodded and thanked him again, before the pair of them caught up with their respective others and walked alongside them.

The group eventually arrived at Defence against the Dark Arts, ready for their first lesson of the week with Professor Turner.

* * *

Dolores Umbridge was impressed. The useless Slytherin's were showing apt at gathering intelligence on Harry and Ginevra Potter for the Dark Lord, and it wouldn't be long before she would be able to put her plans into action.

However for now, she had a more immediate task for her master. As she entered the trapdoor to the tallest tower in the School, she lay eyes on her quarry. Sybill Trelawney, the crazy old bat, wearing thick glasses, and dressed in the strangest apparel, was passed out having drunk her fill on sherry. 'This should be easy, useless old bat... I have no clue why my lord would have any use of her.'

" _Ennervate"_ Umbridge crooned at the old woman, causing her to wake from her drunken slumber.

"Whaa?" Trelawney slurred, stumbling to her feet. "Ohhhh isshh youuuss."

"Yes… It's me." Umbridge sneered at the Divination Teacher.

"We don't have time for this Dolores." Yaxley drawled from behind her as she drew her wand, aiming it at the Professor. "Sorry Trelawney, but I think I will forgo divination for the foreseeable future." She cackled at her own pun.

Trelawney was still sober enough to know what this all meant and looked fearful as Yaxley had her wand pointed between her eyes. _"Imperio!"_

Trelawney struggled briefly, before the spell consumed her.

"Let's go." Yaxley said to both Trelawney and Umbridge.

The trio made their way to the edge of the castle's wards without event, before they activated a portkey given to them by their Dark Lord, specifically for this purpose. Jerked by the Navel, they were removed from the gates of Hogwarts, and deposited at the gates of another old building.

"Ahh, you've finally arrived." Sneered Severus Snape as he looked over the group, "and Sybill, how lovely to see you again, the Dark Lord has been eagerly awaiting your presence." He noted that her eyes held a glazed look similar to the Potter boy's before he broke through Dumbledore's spell and vanished from the school, returning with a power that caused him to hold himself in a high regard that cemented Snape's hatred for him, even if the hatred was based on his father.

The Potters' new power also served to force his hand and choose to follow the Dark Lord till the end, what with the boy knowing all of his secrets, forcing his way into his mind and stealing them through a show of force, the brat had no respect for his elders. Dolores Umbridge coughing with her "hem hem," brought him to reality again.

"Follow me, the Dark Lord is waiting." Snape said, a grimace painting his face as he guided the three through his ancestral home to his master.

Making their way into the room where the throne of his master stood, Snape kneeled before Voldemort. "Master, Umbridge appears to have completed her task."

"Leave, Severus." Voldemort stated, as he looked down upon his servant with disdain.

"Yes, milord." Snape said as he stood and backpedalled his way from the room.

"Dolores, come forward with your quarry." Voldemort said as his servant stood and walked forward, kneeling at his feet, however Trelawney didn't follow.

"Join her." Yaxley said to Trelawney, who nodded, stood from her kneeling position making her way forward to kneel before Voldemort.

"Tell me, Dolores, why is Trelawney under Yaxley's curse?" Voldemort said with an evil smirk, as Umbridge met his eyes in shock.

"Umm… well you see…" Umbridge started before Voldemort simply raised his wand, having already taken the information from her head.

"I don't appreciate people wasting my time. _Crucio!"_ Voldemort screeched, with a lazy flick of his wand, he held the curse upon her for several moments before releasing it. There was a foul smell emanating from the toad-like woman as she lay there twitching, her nerve endings no doubt on fire.

"Go get yourself cleaned up Dolores, before I lose my patience and you join me in the dungeons for the evening instead of Trelawney." Voldemort sneered, his eyes alight with malice and humour, casting fear upon the watching room.

As Dolores stood and made her way from the room as quickly as she could, she noted there were most of the remaining inner circle present this evening, and they had just seen her soil herself during her punishment. She would get even with Yaxley when they returned to Hogwarts.

"Yaxley, release her." Bridgette Yaxley nodded with a gracious smirk, having seen Umbridge tortured, and not being on the receiving end of the curse herself. "There are some trainees and captives in the southern dungeon, you may pick one and do as you wish for the evening for your reward; no questions will be asked." Yaxley nodded again, her smirk widening as she debated whether to pick a male and fulfil her own sexual desires and fantasies, or pick a female and humiliate her thoroughly, also fulfilling herself sexually, albeit slightly less satisfying. "However Yaxley, remember the punishment of delay for the future, as you have seen your teacher wear her faeces this evening."

"Yes Milord, of course." Yaxley said kneeling before her master.

"Be gone." Voldemort sneered, eyes now focused on Trelawney who was now cowering on the floor before him, not daring to look up when Yaxley left the room.

"Bellatrix!" Voldemort said to his room of servants.

"My Lord?" Bellatrix crooned, stepping forward and kneeling.

"Take her to the Dungeons and have a little fun for five minutes, no more." Voldemort directed to his follower. "I want her physically intact and able to answer questions. More will come later if you obey my commands."

"As you wish my lord, it shall be done." Bellatrix said, before she turned her wand upon the cowering divination teacher. " _Stupefy!"_ She waited until Trelawney's head hit the floor with a thump before she cast her next spell, _"Mobilicorpus."_ She then stood and levitated the Professor to the dungeons.

For the next five minutes, Voldemort sat in his throne with a wide smile on his face. The screams of Trelawney, making their way from the Dungeons to his ears was melodious. His followers watched on in fear as the man before them only smirked, while the screams died down and started back up again, causing them to wince, knowing Bellatrix was the best of the Death Eaters at both the Cruciatus Curse and other unconventional methods of torture.

Once the screams died down for the final time, Voldemort looked around the room. His smile ebbed from his face as they all looked up at him, their expressions reeking of fear. "Leave until I call for you." Voldemort said with an evil glint to his eye that told them they should get away while they still could.

Voldemort made his way down to the Dungeons, and eventually met with Bellatrix who held Trelawney under her wand, a pained and fearful expression on the Diviners face.

"Sybill Trelawney…" Voldemort said softly, "Your prophecies have been a thorn in my side for far too long." Voldemort sneered.

"I-I d-don't know of any p-prophecies, but i-i d-do p-predict that you will rule over the land with ma-malevolence…" Trelawney stuttered before Voldemort cut her off.

" _CRUCIO!"_ He screeched, holding her under the curse until her voice sounded cracked hoarse from the screaming.

"Now… We shall try this again…" Voldemort said with malice in his voice. "Tell me of the prophecy involving Potter."

"I-I Don't know of it…" Trelawney croaked out.

"Wrong answer." Voldemort said with a smile that chilled the blood in Trelawney's veins, " _Crucio!"_ He screeched again, holding her under the spell for a long moment before he released her, turning to his faithful follower. "Bellatrix, I do believe ever since your husband was injured by the Dementors, he hasn't been in any condition to please you of late?"

"No my lord." Bellatrix crooned with obvious lust in her voice.

"Well then Bella, Sybill here shall bed you, Imperioused or otherwise, it's your choice." Voldemort said with his twisted smile aimed at Trelawney's horrified eyes, "Then we shall see if she is more willing to talk."

Bellatrix smiled at her master, tonight was going to be an interesting night with her new slave.

* * *

Harry and Ginny sat close during Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, while she was instructing a couple of Hufflepuffs on the correct wand movements, and the Potters were observing the Slytherins beginning to become rowdy. The news of the missing Divination Professor had worried few, as she was not very well liked on the whole. Harry and Ginny thought of the worst immediately, knowing Voldemort would want to know the Prophecy. Their eyes constantly roamed the Slytherins for Bridgette Yaxley, however whenever she was around, she wouldn't meet their eyes. It seemed she had been told that they were able to use Legilimency, most likely by Snape, so the pair decided they would try another target. But they had no luck so far.

The Slytherins becoming rowdy were the least of their problems, since she had become headmistress, Professor McGonagall had to combine all of each year's houses into one class, cutting down the number of classes she had to prepare for in half.

However, where the classes had become larger, the tensions also increased, as was seen on the Friday before Valentine's. Transfiguration had just ended, and a few of the Slytherins had decided that they would cause some trouble as they left the class.

Harry and Ginny, from their still seated position at the side of the class, saw Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode and Theodore Nott, both cast various silent charms and hexes at the backs of Ronald Weasley, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan.

To his credit, Ron spun around quickly and cast a loud Petrificus Totalus at Pansy, causing her to topple over backwards, down the steps coming to a rest in front of the Professor's desk and the Headmistress herself who looked up the steps in shock to see the group fighting, then over to the Potters, Longbottoms and Granger who remained seated, watching the confrontation unfold before them. The Headmistress took their cue and observed the outburst before she reacted.

Dean and Seamus were the next to strike back, casting various hexes and curses at the Slytherins who defended with shields. More and more spells were cast before McGonagall caught Harry's eye and nodded her head to the group, indicating she would like the fight broken up.

Harry and Ginny, both smirked and complied with the request, casting rapid fire wandless stunners into the group of fighting from their seated position, blowing through shields and stunning both Slytherins and Gryffindors alike.

"Thank you Mr and Mrs Potter," McGonagall said with a smirk, "Unfortunately I shall have to ban you from the Valentine's dinner for duelling," She said as she made her way forward before speaking much more quietly, "However seeing as none of you signed up, I am assuming that you have other plans already, nevertheless that is your punishment for duelling within the school walls." She smirked at the pair who nodded, laughter in their eyes. "You lot should make haste to lunch while I deal with these."

"Thank you Professor," Ginny offered, where Harry nodded in thanks and the group all stepped over the bodies and left the room to lunch.

* * *

' _I wonder what Parkinson was thinking, attacking Ron and the others like that…_ ' Ginny thought to Harry as they mulled over their dinner. They really didn't mind that their 'punishment' was to not attend the Valentine's Dinner. Ginny wondered what Harry had planned, but she wasn't able to get any information from him.  
' _I don't know. I always wonder about Slytherins. They're supposed to be calculating, self-serving and subtle… but these days they're anything but… I wonder if the sorting was influenced by Dumbledore in some way…'_ Harry responded thoughtfully.  
' _That would explain why all the Blood Purists have been in Slytherin for years, and why there are far less in any of the other houses.'_

"What a mess…" Harry said out loud looking around the Great Hall.

"You can say that again," said a cold voice from behind them. Harry had felt the person approach through Magical Perception, but thought nothing of it. He turned to see the owner of the voice was none other than Bridgette Yaxley. "So Potters," She sneered, "You think you can attack the Dark Lord's servants and get away with it?" Harry just groaned out loud in response.

"Happens all the time…" Ginny said turning with a smirk to face the girl, hoping to use Legilimency on her, but she was looking off to the side. _'I can't get a read on her Harry, and It would be stupid for her to do anything here…'_ Ginny thought to him, _'We have our allies right here behind us, and she has nothing but witnesses behind her.'_

"You'd better watch yourself, _Weaslette_ ," Yaxley sneered using Draco's pet name for the girl before her, causing Ginny to snarl as Yaxley walked away.

A school owl fluttered over to the table before them, drawing their attention away from Yaxley. "Don't touch the letter." Harry said to those around him as he unfurled it with a flick of a finger.

' _Potter.'_ The note read.  
' _Not all of us Slytherins are as stupid or follow the Dark Lord like Parkinson and the others. The rest of us lie in wait for what will be a battle between yourself and he.'_ Harry's eyebrows raised, as he looked over to Ginny who was wearing a similar expression to him. _'A friend and I would like to meet with you, only briefly, but in private so I don't receive any backlash from the Death Eater would be crew. I will be leaving the Great Hall when you finish this message, nod to your wife if you accept my request to meet with you and we can meet in the room at the end of the third floor corridor with the Trap door in the floor.  
_ _Your friends are welcome if you are worried for your safety,  
_ _Sincerely  
_ _D.G & L.L'_

"Well…" Harry muttered, handing the letter to Neville and Grace, "Do you think we should meet them Gin? It could be a trap…"

"I think it's sincere." Neville said handing the letter back to Ginny having finished it.

' _So do I Harry, I would like to meet with them, and we can have Neville and Grace under the Invisibility cloak if it would make you feel better.'_ Ginny thought to Harry.  
Harry turned to her and gave her a rather obvious nod, knowing that whomever it was that sent the letter would be watching him closely. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daphne Greengrass stand and leave, she was followed rather closely by Luna Lovegood, who left from the Ravenclaw table. ' _I had a feeling about D.G, but L.L. had me, now we know who the other is…'_ Harry sent to Ginny who grabbed his hand.

"Nev, Grace, can you two follow under the invisibility cloak in case it's an ambush?" Ginny said to the Longbottoms who nodded. "Hermione, you're the best with disillusionment charms, could you keep an eye out for me?"

Hermione nodded, "I'll bring George too, he can hide in a secret passageway or something."

"Thanks Hermione." Ginny smirked at Hermione's inclusion of George. It was then that Ginny noticed Neville tap Harry on the shoulder and whisper into his ear as the group stood to leave, making it look like he was just leaning a little closer.

' _Yaxley and Umbridge kidnapped Trelawney.'_ Harry thought to Ginny, _'She's with Voldemort, and he is trying to break her to get the Prophecy.'  
_ ' _Damn… We'll have to sit down and plan, we need to find out where she is… This could be bad...'_ Ginny thought in return, and Harry nodded, as she and Harry left hand in hand for the third floor, George and Hermione walked off in a different direction, where Grace and Neville simply vanished in the shadows of a darkened corner of the Entrance Hall to pick up Harry's cloak.  
' _Nev said Grace could only get a very short reading on her,'_ Harry responded.  
' _Something is better than nothing,'_ Ginny replied squeezing Harry's hand. _'I suppose Grace is an unknown to the Death Eaters, no one knows that she is as powerful as Neville, and as good at the mind arts as we are.'  
_ ' _It's a good thing too,'_ Harry thought to Ginny as they opened the door at the end of the third floor corridor, it felt strange with the absence of Fluffy. _'We need to keep some surprises.'_

Harry felt four presences in the room, noting that two of them were Grace and Neville, and the other two were the two girls that requested his presence.

Harry and Ginny stepped into the room, and they were immediately confronted by two blondes Daphne, a quiet Slytherin girl from their year, and Luna a quiet Ravenclaw Girl from the year below.

"Potters." Daphne nodded, speaking quietly.

"Daphne," Ginny responded, the pair of them thinking the girls might be more comfortable speaking with Ginny rather than Harry in case they were feeling vulnerable. "You wanted to speak with us?"

"Luna and I know what's coming." Daphne said lowering her head. "A fight so big it will destroy everything in its wake." She then looked back up to the pair of them, "You two are immensely powerful, anyone with half a brain can see it, but you're also cautious. Much more so than many Slytherins."

"To the point please." Harry responded in a low gravelly voice making Daphne flinch. _'I don't want to stand here for an hour with them blowing smoke up our arses asking nothing.'_ Harry thought to Ginny at her inquisitive glance.

"They're doing it again…" Luna whispered loudly causing Ginny and Harry's heads to snap around, eyes boring into hers. "You two can communicate silently." Luna said matter-of-factly. "Because you are bonded so tightly."

Harry's eyes narrowed but he said nothing, looking back to Daphne expectantly. "Right, to the point then." Daphne bowed her head then looked back up, "I'm sorry, I'm just used to Purebloods and having to make them feel honoured before you can get anything from them…"

Ginny nodded understandingly, having heard from her father how many times Purebloods refused to talk to you unless you made them feel special in some way.

"My sister is tits over arse for Draco Malfoy," Daphne said with a shrug, "There's no saving her anyway, the Blood Malediction will have her before she turns thirty, but the fact she would do anything to help Draco, that will be her downfall."

"Cold, but to a point… I suppose..." Ginny frowned, "What do you want from us specifically?"

"I don't think like the rest of my family, I'm not blind, Muggleborns aren't inferior, just look at Granger. Purebloods aren't superior, look at Potter here, a Half Blood and easily the most powerful Wizard I have ever seen. I can see you two have learned some serious magic and gained massive amounts of power," Daphne exclaimed. "Anyone who watched the Tri-Wizard Tournament should have figured that out when he broke a Dragon and wasn't even out of breath." Ginny smirked at her husband then looked back to Daphne and Luna.

"She wants you to save her… But she's too proud to ask directly…" Luna said airily. "It's the Nargles." She whispered knowingly.

Harry ignored the Nargles comment for the moment, "Save you how?" Harry asked softly.

"I'm to be married to Nott at the end of the year, I've already been threatened by my father, the Dark Lord and that bitch Yaxley." Daphne sighed, "It's all because of my father… 'A sure fire way to keep the lines pure…' Ginevra, I want what you have with Potter… Love…"

"No one can have what they have…" Luna said directly. "So many things teetered on the balance at one time, and the unthinkable happened, nothing so amazing will happen again."

Harry's eyes found their way to Luna's and he struck with Legilimency. She didn't react from his probe, he looked but was unable to see anything, her mind was a jumbled mess of random images and a swirl of thoughts. He was beginning to get a headache trying to decipher it all, so he retreated from her mind. "How do you know so much about us, Luna?" Ginny asked, feeling and hearing Harry's observations of her mind through his.

"It visible for everyone to see," Luna said with a serene smile. "No one looks close enough."

' _She's… Different…'_ Harry thought to Ginny.  
' _I don't know what to think about her…'_ Ginny responded, before she turned back to Daphne, "So what? You want our help to disappear?"

Daphne sighed and nodded, "And what of Luna?" Harry asked, looking at the girl with a wary eye.

"I would like to go with Daphne." Luna said with a nod, "She has been my only friend, and lover. My father would miss me, but once the world is safe again, we can return."

Daphne blushed when Luna said that they were lovers, but didn't say anything to deny it. _'I feel like they're telling us the whole truth Harry. We should help them, where could we send them?'  
_ Harry rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Give us a day to set it up, I'll owl you when we can meet again. It will be a different time and place." _'They could join the four girls in America?'  
_ ' _A bit crowded, don't you think?_ ' Ginny responded, _'Besides the girls don't know them. What about the place in France?'  
_ ' _Sure, it's only temporary anyway...'_

"Thanks you two," Daphne said softly. "It means a lot." She took Luna's hand and made her way to the door, quickly opening it and striding through, a spring in her step now that she had an escape plan in action.

"Thank you Neville and Grace Longbottom for standing guard!" Luna calling over her shoulder, "Oh and Hermione and George too!"

Neville whipped off the cloak, exposing him and Grace to the remaining pair in the room. "How the hell did she see through the cloak?" Neville said with a stunned expression.

"I think she sees things differently to the rest of us." Harry said thoughtfully. "Merlin knows she thinks it…"

"Everyone calls her Loony." Hermione said softly, "it's good to know they're all wrong." Hermione smiled, pleased that Luna had proven that she's not crazy, just different. She had silently observed that Luna was picked on by many in her year, and that Daphne was the only person really genuinely nice to her in the whole school.

"Don't worry Hermione," George said softly holding her hand. "These four are already working on it, blood supremacy will be a thing of the past."

"That it most certainly will…" Said Neville absently.

* * *

Sybill Trelawney lay naked on a bed in the Manor she had been held captive in for over a week. She had been denied sleep, only to be raped repeatedly by Bellatrix and several others she let in on the events and forced by means of the Imperious Curse to perform sexual acts on many of them. She had been tortured often, and irregularly, sometimes by Bellatrix, sometimes Voldemort.

As she lay there her thoughts drifted, more chaotic than normal. She knew that they wanted information on a Prophecy given about Harry Potter; The Boy Who Lived, but she didn't know of it, although it seemed to her now as though the information was just out of reach.

Sybill knew her mind was close to breaking point, but there was nothing she could do for it, other than to hope that they granted her a quick death, and soon. The pain was almost constant now, her nerve endings were the worst, but her womanhood was a close second. The Death Eaters, when allowed, would now just take her over and over.

"Ahhh Sybill, Sybill, Sybill…" Voldemort sneered looking at the woman on the bed, she struggled to rise, but couldn't. "A little out of energy are we? Never mind, I have a cure right here for you." Voldemort said as he threw a cupful of water at her, she tried to lick some of it up, dying of thirst. He then summoned one of his many servants to feed her an energy replenishing potion.

She gagged on it as it was forced in her mouth, it was foul, just like anything Severus would make. She tried to spit it out, but the servant's hand clamped down on her mouth, forcing her to swallow. She instantly felt her energy return, and the pain increased throughout her body at her increased awareness.

"Kneel before your Master, Sybill." Voldemort sneered, as Trelawney stood and slowly kneeled before him. "Now, do you feel like telling me about the Prophecy Sybill?"

Trelawney nodded.

"More importantly do you remember it yet?" Voldemort said softly, uncharacteristically.

Trelawney shook her head in sorrow and began to sob.

Voldemort didn't feel pity for the woman, he felt disgust. Disgusted that she could be so weak to allow herself into this position. Disgusted that she just lay there as one by one his Death Eaters took her repeatedly. His disgust overcame him as he saw her begin to sob.

" _Crucio…"_ Voldemort said lightly, flicking his wand at her.

The effect was almost immediate, the woman before him fell sideways, curling and twitching at odd angles, the screams were ear piercing, and then it all stopped.

Trelawney lifted off the ground, as though by some incredible force, causing the Cruciatus to bounce back to Voldemort. He was quick enough however to cancel the curse before it did more than hurt his hand.

Trelawney's arms spread wide, as she was forced against the wall behind her by an unseeable power, being held against it halfway toward the ceiling. Her head lifted and Voldemort could see that her eyes were rolled back into her head. He began to get excited as he realised this was what he was waiting for.

Trelawney spoke in a deep and powerful voice, " **The ones with the power to defeat the Dark One draw near. The First born as the seventh month dies, to those who thrice defied him, he shall mark him as his true adversary. The second born 7 after, loved by the First belonging only to him, 7th born, first in 7, marked by the Dark One, akin to the First. She shall be bound to him and will be his only equal. If the Meddler succeeds all will be lost to destruction like none have seen. If the Mentors hone them, life can persevere, for only they have the power that the Dark One can never obtain.** "

Trelawney sagged, but remained in her current position on the wall. Voldemort was perplexed, he knew he was the Dark one and that Potter was the First, but who were the Second and the Mentors. Only one could be the Meddler and he was already taken care of, although now that he thought about it, his Death Eaters may have not been the ones to kill him.

Trelawney went rigid and spoke again, the same deep voice emanating from her. " **Three whose hearts are Darkest shall strike tonight… They shall strike and they shall fail, for he has been honed by the Mentors… The bound shall be safe, and the Meddler shall fall… but not before the Dark One rises once more…** "

Trelawney sagged once more, giving Voldemort a moment to think. He realised that this must have been a Prophecy about his return, but none were around to hear it. Severus would have told him if there was another Prophecy about him, he was sure of it. It seemed that as her mind began to fail her, Sybill was recounting all of her prophecies, so that they wouldn't be lost in her death. A pity really, she was recounting them to him.

Before he had more time to think on this, Trelawney went rigid once more, and began shaking while she spoke. " **When the fires of Corruption have been quenched... when the Dark One is no more… Meddelaya shall break free from her bonds… to mete out punishment on deserving souls like none before… The Vanquishers, of four are key, their power untold… If Meddelaya corrupts them, no man shall grow old.** "

Voldemort physically flinched when he heard the line, 'When the Dark One is no more…' Incensed he roared " _Stupefy."_ Trelawney was hit was a red bolt of light and fell to the ground, unceremoniously and unconscious.

* * *

Sybill Trelawney once again awoke naked, yet this time she seemed to be in a darkened chamber, tied to a stone platform with her arms and legs spread. She looked around and saw runes and candles on the floor in a wide circle around her. As she looked over her body she saw, and felt, runes had been carved into her flesh while she was unconscious.

Her blood ran cold, she was going to be used in a ritual, and in the company of Voldemort it could only be a terrible one.

Voldemort didn't say anything to her when he entered the chamber and walked up to Trelawney, he just began chanting. "Haec animam meam; scutum meum erit… Haec animam meam; scutum meum erit…" He repeated over and over, as he reached for a long dark dagger tied to the waistband of his robes. Runes on the floor around the platform began to glow green as he continued to chant. Shortly after, the ones carved into her flesh joined them, they became hot and she whimpered in pain as her flesh began to sear with magic.

"Haec animam meam; scutum meum erit…" Voldemort said again as he plunged the blade into the crook of her arm with the dagger, Trelawney screamed as he severed the major arteries, ensuring they were so by twisting the blade before he withdrew it, blood flowing freely in small geysers. Voldemort leaned down, and putting his mouth to the wound and began to drink.

Trelawney cried and screamed; and tried to thrash in her bonds as she felt her life force being forcefully pulled from her body. Her screams and cries slowed as her blood, life force and soul were being ripped from her body by Voldemort and his ritual.

As she stilled, Voldemort kept drinking, ensuring he got the most from this protection dark blood ritual. He was loathe to use someone else to strengthen him, but hearing the third prophecy, the one detailing that he would be defeated, he wanted to make sure he had the best chance at defeating Potter.

Once Trelawney was drained, he felt that he had additional protection surrounding him. It was unwilling and in pain, but it was there. He levitated Trelawney's body and made his way up to his throne room where the Death Eaters were assembled once more, the dead and battered body of the Hogwarts Divination Professor behind him.

"Severus," Voldemort hissed, "Add this one to the pile." Voldemort then looked around the room and saw the Servant that had forced the Energy Replenishing potion down Trelawney's throat, a quick look into his mind with Legilimency told him that he hadn't told anyone about the third Prophecy, an oversight on his part, but he wouldn't let the man tell anyone again.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_ Voldemort's curse impacted on the man's chest, the sickly green light bathing him before he slumped to the ground, "That one too Severus, and be quick or you shall join them."

* * *

.

* * *

A.N. - Haec animam meam; scutum meum erit - This soul, shall be my shield

As we all know, Voldemort's greatest fear is death, Voldemort literally translates from French to English as Death Flight, or flee from death less literally. So naturally, even though he doesn't know that his Horcruxes are gone, he adds yet another protection to himself in the way of a Dark Blood ritual.

Yes it's made up.

To all reviewers and followers/favouriters, I thank you, and I also appreciate the constructive criticism and patience where it is displayed, I hold no schedule for updates so far it has been impossible for me to keep one, but I do promise this story will reach completion. Whiners are ignored.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10. Got Your Six.**

Harry awoke in a _very_ good mood. He had spent Valentine's Day close with his wife, just enjoying life. Harry took Ginny to a Muggle Theme park where they rode Roller Coasters, and various other rides that had Ginny laughing and squealing like any regular teenager.

They then went to a muggle cinema to watch a movie, where Ginny, once again delighted in the Muggle sweets and "Wizard Pictures with words," as well as all the muggle sweets and fizzy drink.

Now, as he lay in his bed at Potter Manor, he was pleased to see her getting some rest. While they were worried about what Trelawney would reveal to Voldemort, Umbridge and what she would do, Yaxley and her quest as well as the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet, they both recognized that they needed some time to unwind and simply be teenagers for a little while.

However that time was coming to a close, and as they lay in each other's arms in bed Harry was wondering why they bothered with Hogwarts anymore. He was fed up with the constant threats towards his wife, who was dealing with it admirably. He wasn't learning much more than he already knew anymore and there wasn't much intelligence to be gleaned from the place now that Dumbledore was dead, with the exception of Yaxley and Umbridge, whom they could spy on under their invisibility cloak if the need arose.

Harry decided he was craving freedom. Not conforming to anyone else's schedule, and wanting to spend time with his wife while training as much as he wanted. OWLS and NEWTS could be completed whenever they wanted, and it wasn't like the Potters ever needed to work, their investments were making a steady income that they both could live their lives off.

Ginny stirring in her sleep and murmuring his name removed him from his thoughts as his focus came back to her, planting a grin on him. He would discuss this topic with her at another time.

* * *

Harry and Ginny returned to Gryffindor's study at Hogwarts that evening, they decided together they would attend dinner, however they were yet to have the discussion about leaving the school on a permanent basis.

"Mrs. Potter…" The portrait of Godric Gryffindor spoke upon their arrival. "The Headmistress has requested your presence upon returning to school."

"Just me?" Ginny spoke, a touch of worry tinging her voice as she spoke.

"Yes… That was all she said through the floo." Godric spoke with a smile that eased her slightly.

"Okay…" Ginny said softly. ' _What could she want with just me?'  
'I haven't a clue, love. But be on your guard.' _Harry responded, a touch of worry tainting his thoughts. Something just… didn't feel right.  
 _'Always'_ Ginny smirked, then she leaned up and kissed him sweetly before she Shadow Stepped to a shadowy alcove nearest the Heads office, and made her way to the Stone Gargoyle guarding the Headmistresses office.

"Tartan." She spoke confidently to the Gargoyle as it hopped aside and she jogged up the steps taking two at a time.

"Enter!" Ginny heard McGonagall shout as she opened and entered a foot inside. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end for some reason, but she ignored it.

"Good Evening, Miss Weasley." The Headmistress said with an edge of hostility in her voice. The tone and way she addressed Ginny had alarm bells ringing in her head. "Sit." McGonagall said with a rather dark smirk.

"I think I'd rather stand…" Ginny said as she eyed the room. She reached out with her Magical Perception, but it seemed the room was warded in such a way that it interfered with it, feeling magic responding all around her. Ginny looked around, looking for anything out of place, any reason as to why McGonagall would be acting strangely. _'Harry, something's up with McGonagall… And I can't get a read on anything…"  
'Legilimency?'_ Was the only response that came from Harry.

Ginny looked into the eyes of her Headmistress, loaded her mental probe with power and began her search. Immediately, everything was wrong, there were a few memories of the host looking at McGonagall who was strapped to a chair, then, shifting back in time, she saw the memory of the person before her kneeling before Tom Riddle.

As Ginny withdrew from the mind of the person in front of her, she was met by the visage of rage as she released her wand from the holster. _"Crucio!"_ The imposter McGonagall screeched in McGonagall's Scottish brogue. As the spell burst from her wand, hidden under the desk she was sitting behind, flipping it violently toward the entrance as the spell streaking for the redheaded Potter.

Ginny ducked the desk and leapt to the side as soon as she heard the spell being cast, both narrowly missed her, with the desk exploding on impact with the door and the spell hitting the desk, sending shards of wood everywhere. She felt a stabbing pain in her calf muscles and back but ignored it for the moment.

As Ginny righted herself from dodging the curse of the fake McGonagall, she raised her power slightly, took aim at the fake McGonagall, a spell on her lips as _'Harry, help,'_ passed through her bond. However she wasn't ready for six Cruciatus curses to slam into her at the same time, the pain all over her was white hot and her world went black in an instant.

.

Whilst Ginny left to visit the Headmistress, Harry began unpacking their overnight bag and setting about the Study tidying and sorting both of their belongings out for the next day.

He felt the feeling of caution and worry coming from Ginny before he heard her 'voice' in his head, _'Harry, something's up with McGonagall… And I can't get a read on anything…"  
'Legilimency.'_ Harry responded, thinking Ginny must be very worried if she didn't think to try that for herself.

Harry went and fetched his robes as a precautionary measure, he then felt the feeling of horror from his wife. _'Harry, Help'_ He heard from Ginny through his link with her, as he quickly threw his robes over his head, having been wearing muggle clothing most of the weekend, then he felt a white hot pain streak through him and then felt Ginny fade from his consciousness.

In an instant Harry drew his Glaives and Shadow Stepped to McGonagall's office, and the position where he felt Ginny's consciousness fade.

As he appeared in the office, barely a foot in front of his unconscious and bleeding wife, rage swept through him and he let his aura loose not caring who was there or how many. Harry's eyes did a quick sweep of the room and saw multiple people just coming out of their Disillusionment charms, having cast other spells causing the camouflage spell to fade.

Ginny hadn't been able to successfully check the room out with her Magical Perception, so she couldn't notice Pansy Parkinson, Bridgette Yaxley, Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode, Victor Crabbe and Gregory Goyle all standing in a crescent formation each side of the 'Headmistress,' under disillusionment charms.

Harry felt an inferno of Fury sweep over him as he moved into action, tossing his left Glaive up and catching it by the tip of the blade, he flicked it as hard as he could at Pansy, she didn't have the speed nor the skill to dodge the double bladed weapon streaking for her faster than anything she had seen before. In the blink of an eye it had done its job as it sliced through her midsection, wedging itself in the wall behind her.

The fight raged on before her, the newcomer striking fear into his opponents with his tremendous power radiating from him and his speed and grace. When the room rumbled, Pansy discovered why she couldn't move and was struggling to breathe, as the top half of her body separated from the bottom. She looked down at her legless torso, her entrails sprawled out beside her, and she looked up to see Potter taking down the rest of her friends, and she screamed in horror and helpless rage while she bled to death on the floor.

.

After Harry threw the Glaive, he Shadow Stepped to the opposite side of the room to Goyle and thrust his other Glaive into the boy's chest, with a roar of anger and continuing the movement he lifted the heavy set boy off the ground completely and slammed him to the floor, shaking the room and pinning the boy to the ground.

Leaving Goyle pinned to the floor, Harry spun, Crabbe in his sights he raised a hand, thumb, index and middle fingers making a triangle shape and he shouted, _"EVISCERATE!"_ The spell erupting from his hand with a force that could have moved boulders, but not Harry as the Death Eater trainee was struck by a golden light and he exploded into a mass of what looked like minced meat soup, painting the wall behind where he stood before in a three dimensional artwork of gore.

"Stop!" The Imposter McGonagall shouted, causing Harry to quickly turn to the direction of the sound. She seemed to be slowly de-morphing from McGonagall, as she shortened and widened into a toad like figure. Causing Harry to almost vibrate with unchecked rage that was coursing through him.

Umbridge was now standing at the entrance to the room having somehow moved there in the commotion, her wand pointed at Ginny who was lying helplessly on the stone floor, splinters from what looked to be from the Headmistress's desk protruding from her back and legs. "One more move and the girl dies, P-potter." Umbridge stuttered with feigned confidence as she watched Potter stand there, his red aura scorching the ceiling, the sparks jumping outward from him, in some cases crawling along the floor and the globe of golden streaks shimmering as it swirled around him. It was beautiful, in an odd sort of way. Now that Harry stood still and just glared at Umbridge, she then nodded to someone who stood behind Harry.

Harry just stood there and growled facing Umbridge as the sound of the floo seemed to flare behind him. Someone having escaped had only added to Harry's mounting Fury.

In a flash of Flame Neville and Grace appeared holding onto Fawkes with one hand and wand in the other aimed already at Umbridge, Neville then roared _"OBLITERATE!"_

Grace was facing the other direction aimed at someone behind Harry yelling the same spell at the same time, however she was drowned out by Neville, as a beam of light erupted from each of their wands. Neville's launched at Umbridge, collecting her in the chest, just as she finished saying _"Avada-,"_ her wand aimed at Ginny, taking the words and the breath from her as she lost most of her chest and vital organs in the blast.

Grace's spell hit Millicent Bulstrode in the head, leaving behind a lifeless corpse erupting a fountain of blood in periodic pumps in time with her heartbeat, before the body collapsed to the floor.

As quick as a flash, Harry turned and Shadow Stepped to the sole remaining enemy in the room, a silent _'Petrificus Totalus'_ to the back of the head of the last Death Eater minion, and Bridgette Yaxley was standing there, stone still.

"Harry," He heard Grace say behind him, as he turned and saw her sheathing her wand from inspecting Ginny. "Leave Yaxley to Neville and I," Grace suggested softly her eyes wide, as she talked through Harry's fury. "Get Ginny home and help her. She needs treatment for the Cruciatus, some restoratives, and you need to tend to her wounds, I've already vanished the wood."

Harry, with his aura still fully ablaze nodded, summoned his Glaives to him, causing a sucking sound as one wrenched itself from Goyle's chest. As he caught his Glaives and holstered them he looked in the direction of where his second one had come from, Pansy had stopped screaming some time ago, her dead eyes were staring in the direction of Ginny and Umbridge's corpse. In his anger, Harry flicked both glaives into wands and sent a blasting hex at the top half of her body and it erupted into a fine mist on the wall behind her.

Harry then holstered his wands, moved to Ginny, scooped up his wife and Shadow Stepped to Potter Manor.

* * *

Harry arrived directly in the Master Bedroom of Potter Manor, with Ginny in hand. He lay her face down on the bed and pulled a wand. He vanished her clothes and began healing the cuts on her back first, to prevent any further blood loss.

"Milly." Harry said gruffly.

A popping noise behind him signified that she had entered the room, "Ma-"

"I need some potions, Strengthening Solution, Pain Relieving…" Harry trailed off, one of the new potions Professor Flanagan had worked on with them would be ideal at this moment. "Never mind Milly… Can you please heal these cuts, I'll return in a moment." Harry said softly as he Shadow Stepped from Potter Manor directly to the Potion Masters Office.

"MERLIN'S BALLS!..." Professor Flanagan roared as Harry appeared in his office, Red flaming aura, golden streaked sphere and sparks crackling around him like a mini lightning storm. "Potter?! Seeing it in the paper is one thing, but…"

"Sir, I… we..." Harry stuttered then calmed himself, his panic ebbed slightly, and he couldn't help Ginny if he couldn't ask for what he needed. "Sir, I need an Elixir of Life, it's for Ginny."

Flanagan reached into the drawer of his desk and pulled a vial of the rare and near impossible to make potion that they had successfully made weeks ago. "Take me with you." Flanagan said, Harry didn't argue, he conjured a note with the address of Potter Manor on it and handed it to his friend and Professor, who read it and nodded.

Harry snapped his fingers and it burst into flame, he reached for the Potion Master's hand, took it and Shadow Stepped back to Ginny's side. Flanagan let go of Harry's hand and made his way to Ginny's side, turning her onto her side with his wand, while Harry paced anxiously at the foot of the bed, while Flanagan fed Ginny the Elixir.

"Harry, you're in shock…" Flanagan said softly, looking to Harry from the bedside. "Take a moment to calm yourself, she will be fine. The Elixir will make sure of it."

Harry stood there and closed his eyes, he reached out with his Magical Perception and took deep breaths. He focused on reeling his aura back in, and as he did he began to notice he felt drained. The worry and stress from seeing Ginny like that had taken everything he had from him, as his aura faded, and the sparks calmed Harry collapsed to his knees.

"Harry, it's alright." Flanagan said, as he put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Your wife is a strong young woman, anyone can see that a mile away. Go take a shower, then get some rest. Your wife will be fine, she responded immediately to the potion, she's just sleeping. Her mind needs the rest, you however have drained your magical core somewhat, here." He then handed Harry a measured amount of the same Elixir from the vial.

Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir." accepting the Potion graciously he downed it in a swig, handing it back to Flanagan with a smirk, feeling rather invigorated from the replenishing effect of the Elixir.

"Please... outside of class it's Kevin, you of all people know that." Flanagan said returning a smirk as he held out a hand to Harry, who took it and stood. "Now, I need to get back to the school…" Kevin chuckled, as he did Fawkes flashed into the room and shook his tail-feathers before the man. "Ah, Phoenix Express. Don't mind if I do... Mr. Potter, come see me in the morning and if she needs another dose I shall give it to you then, but as strong she is, I doubt she'll need it. I would like to know how she's doing regardless..."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Kevin… Don't you want to know how she got hurt?"

"Not really," Kevin said with a smirk. "The less I know, the more I can bullshit to whoever the authority figure is that asks." He then laughed and Harry let forth a weak smile. Fawkes trilled, "Until next time, Harry." Kevin said with a wink and Fawkes flashed out of the room.

Harry made his way back to the head of the bed where his wife lay. The pale, drawn look she held just a moment ago from the blood loss and the intense pain he knew she had felt was gone, she looked as though she was just sleeping now.

Harry reached out and gingerly stroked one of her matted coppery locks from her face and tucked it behind her ear, as he did she stirred, her brow creased as her eyes opened and she looked up to Harry. "Harry?" She whispered softly.

"It's okay, Gin." Harry said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead and cheek. "You're safe, we're at the manor."

"Kay…" She said as she fell asleep again, causing Harry to smirk as her worry lines faded and her face fell back into the neutral peaceful state it was in before.

Harry was immediately relieved now that Ginny had shown to be recovering already, however his relief was immediately replaced again by the raging inferno of fury that someone had done this to his wife, _His Ginny._

"Milly?" Harry addressed as kindly as he could in his current mood, the house elf who had taken up standing in the corner of the room, wringing her hands nervously jumped to attention. "Please keep watch over her and apprise me of any changes… anything at all."

"Yessir!" The elf hurriedly squeaked in panic.

Harry then Shadow Stepped to his quarters at Hogwarts, grabbed his Invisibility cloak, immediately donning it before Shadow Stepping into the Headmistresses office.

Neville and Grace were standing there with Professor McGonagall sitting in her chair, who was shaking uncontrollably from exposure to the Cruciatus and Fawkes resting on Grace's shoulder. There was no sign of trouble brewing from the Ministry… yet. Harry removed his cloak once again, revealing himself to the room.

"Ma'am," Harry addressed gruffly, McGonagall jumped, but Grace and Neville must have sensed his presence for they showed no outward reaction to his sudden appearance.

"How is she?" Grace asked worriedly.

"Fine." Harry replied, a curt tinge to his tone. "What happened?" Harry inclined his head to McGonagall.

Neville frowned before he spoke, "She was ambushed, similarly to Ginny… Then tortured and stunned and that's all she knows." He said inclining his head to McGonagall, he then nodded to the prone form of Bridgette Yaxley who had her throat slit in true Neville fashion causing Harry to smirk darkly. "The task here was nothing more than an ambush to get Ginny, to get to you... Nott escaped, they're all Death Eaters in training, but I think it's best we abandon Hogwarts, Hermione and the twins included."

"Agreed." Harry said. McGonagall coughed, gaining their attention before he spoke again.

"There's something else, Potter." She said rather weakly. "They're planning an attack, I heard Dolores speaking of it when I came to. Something about your relatives in Surrey."

"No loss there." Harry growled as he turned back to Neville.

"Don't be so dark, Potter!" McGonagall exclaimed, the horror evident in her voice drawing Harry's attention back to her. "I know they mistreated you…"

"They tortured me… I was a helpless child."

McGonagall winced but continued on, "Even so, do all of the Muggles in Surrey deserve the same fate?" She said softly, a frown and familiar thin lipped expression adorning her aged features.

Harry sighed and looking to the ground, "Harry?" Grace whispered, "Fawkes and I can go tend to Ginny while you and Nev take care of everything here? I can have Fawkes deliver a message to Nick with everything that happened if you like?" She reached up and stroked the grey, red and gold Phoenix that had arrived in the room before him.

Harry nodded. As much as he loved and respected Milly, Grace would have the Human touch that someone in recovery would need, and seeing as it appeared it was going to be a long evening, Harry appreciated the thought from Grace. "Thanks, Grace… that would be great."

Neville moved forwards and gave Grace a light kiss on the lips, "I'll keep in touch and we will be along when we can, Hun." Grace nodded, smiled to the pair of them, and then said something to Fawkes that Harry didn't catch before they both disappeared in a flash of flame.

"I think Fawkes has proven himself to me." Harry said softly to Neville, "Who knows what could have happened if you three didn't show up."

"I've said before mate," Neville put his hand on Harry's shoulder as they met each other's eyes. "I've got your six… Now, what do we do about Surrey?"

* * *

Lord Voldemort was in a towering rage. Not only had Umbridge and Yaxley failed him, but Nott had arrived a short moment ago, having fled the battle at the instruction of Umbridge with the revelation that Potter, was the Vigilante - Harbinger.

This meant that the boy's wife was Interfector, and the others were his school friends. What infuriated him the most was that school children had been the cause for all of his headaches, led by none other than The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter.

As Nott remained kneeling on the floor before him, Voldemort stood and attempted to keep his anger in check until it was most needed.

"Young Theodore, you have served me well…" Voldemort crooned as he stalked his way around the room, "You shall be rewarded shortly."

"Thank you my Lord, I am most grateful." Theodore Nott smiled as he stood and made his way to the side of the room under the obvious dismissal. Voldemort sensed that his thoughts now drifted to the women that lay in the Dungeons below him, and how he would have his pick of them later. Oh how wrong he was, news of failure never received such rewards.

"My faithful Friends." Voldemort addressed his followers smugly, who kneeled along the walls of the room. "Tonight we shall lash out at Harry Potter, through his family. I shall pick a handful of you to come with me, and we shall raze the filthy Muggle London like never before!"

Voldemort's Death Eaters cheered at the opportunity to get out and have some fun, they had been quiet since Diagon Alley and Arthur Weasley's Funeral, and the loss of so many during the retaliatory strikes from that had affected morale. As the din died down, Voldemort addressed them once more, he picked his companions for the evening then dismissed those not required that evening. "Go prepare yourselves, we leave at midnight." Voldemort told the Death Eaters he required.

"My Lord! Your will shall be done." A few of them chanted as they rose from their kneeling positions and made their way to the exit. "Nott… Follow me, you have a far more important role."

Theodore Nott nodded, pleased he wasn't joining the others, hoping for a quiet night, but even more thrilled with the news that he was more important than raiding muggle London.

"You have a much more important role, young Theodore." Voldemort crooned, keeping the boy calm for the moment. "It shall also be part of your… reward." Nott smiled up to him as he followed and was led into the backyard to the… pile.

The 'pile,' as Voldemort affectionately termed it, was a mountain of bodies in a large hole in the ground. The hole was over thirty feet in diameter and looked rather deep, the pile of bodies within stood two stories above the hole, matching the roof of the manor it stood behind. The stench was sickening and thick.

"Your role, Mr. Nott, is to lead this Army of the ever feared Inferi!..." Voldemort screeched, allowing his anger from before forth, Nott blanched and took a step backward as Voldemort turned and looked at him with his maniacal glare. Nothing Nott had ever seen was more horrifying or caused him to regret everything in his life that had led him to this point, like the vision of Lord Voldemort staring in anger at _him,_ with a mountain of bodies behind.

"... As its leader…" Voldemort continued more softly. "You must be one of them," Quicker than Nott had ever seen before, Voldemort slashed his wand at him, and he felt something tug at his throat, as his chest quickly become wet, as his vision faded. Nott tried to say something but could only gurgle before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Voldemort leaned down, grabbed Nott's ankle, and threw him onto the pile of dead. He began his most favoured ritual in the art Necromancy.

.

Several hours later, Lord Voldemort was rewarded from his efforts, as the bodies in the hole started to stir. The one thing Voldemort was grateful to the Vigilante's for was, any intact body they killed and did not vaporise with their power, they left on the field of battle for his 'cleaners' to collect.

"My Lord." Severus Snape said from behind him, "Your potion."

Voldemort took the potion from Severus and downed it, feeling the Magic within him restore to an acceptable level, and his tiredness leave him. "Thank you, Severus." Voldemort said with a smirk, as he watched his Inferi rise.

"I live to serve, milord." Snape said bowing. "If I may be so bold, I would like to join you tonight, to exact my revenge against the Potter Family… for their… Mistreatment of me"

"Indeed." Voldemort said, eyeing the man before him critically. "You would best serve me tonight by remaining here and keeping the rest in check until we return victorious. I have no time for petty Vendettas over… Some minor schoolyard bullying… and being beaten so roundly... is that clear, Severus?"

"Y-yes my lord." Snape stuttered once more, in fear of becoming the newest member of the pile and bowing quickly once more so as not to offend.

* * *

Having retrieved everyone that meant anything to him from Hogwarts, that would be hurt or targeted in retaliation for the deaths of Umbridge and the rest either by Voldemort or the Ministry, Harry now sat in the sitting room surrounded by his friends and loved ones, except for Ginny and Grace.

Hermione looked grave at what had happened to Ginny, she had checked the young Potter woman over for her own peace of mind, and had returned to the sitting room a little cheerier, knowing her friend was recovered but just sleeping because of her ordeal. Bill had doted on his sister for a moment, before he returned, saying that the Cruciatus curse cast by six people at once, even if it were only a few seconds, would feel like she had been under it for a prolonged period of time, even to someone as powerful as Ginny was. This news caused Harry's scowl to deepen.

The Twins and Katie were rather sombre and less jovial than their usual demeanour, worried about their sister and friend. Neville and Harry both had adorned dark looks on their features, while Remus, Bill and Sirius eyed them both cautiously.

All had seen the memory from when Harry entered the Head's office, until he picked up Ginny and left, so that they understood and could see what had happened.

"Sirius," Harry addressed his Godfather, assuming his command tone, however he didn't lift his eyes from the table before him. "Could you please observe and report anything that happens in Privet Drive? You can use this… Keep safe." He said as he threw his invisibility cloak which Sirius caught deftly.

"Of course, Harry," Sirius smirked before he donned the cloak and vanished from sight.

The group sat there and discussed what may happen from the deaths of so many students and Umbridge at the school. As Harry, Ginny and the others were now most likely ousted by Voldemort to the Ministry as the Vigilante's, thoughts ranged from a manhunt to the closure of the school.

It wasn't until late that night that Sirius Shadow Stepped back to Potter Manor, "Harry…" Sirius said softly then shuddered. "There's an army gathering in the street now… Lots of Inferi…"

"Well…" Harry smirked and he stood, he faced Neville and stuck his hand out. "You and I?"

Neville looked shocked for a moment, his expression matching the rest in the room with the exception of Sirius who looked relieved. Neville gathered his thoughts, "Why just us?"

"I think having too many at the Battle of Hogsmeade hindered us, we were too worried about hurting our allies." Harry said thoughtfully, "Seeing as you and I are the two most powerful in this room, I would like you to have my six." Harry smirked as he finished using Neville's own words.

Neville smirked and took Harry's outstretched hand and shook it.

* * *

Harry and Neville Shadow Stepped to the corner of Privet Drive and Magnolia Crescent, Little Whinging, Surrey. A Battle was raging before them as they looked at each other briefly, then turning their attention back to the fight in the street.

There were scores of Inferi trailing behind a few dozen Death Eaters and Voldemort himself, they were fighting a handful of Hitwizards and Aurors who had arrived due to the large amounts of Magic being performed in the area.

"Shall we?" Harry asked as he raised his hood, the red eyes of Harbinger appearing as he drew his Glaives. He would be rather excited at the fight that lay before him, if he wasn't wearing a thick cloak of fury from the events that happened earlier in the day.

"After you." Neville smirked, as he raised his hood. The charmed shadows of his cloak swarming over his face before blue eyes appeared within the hood.

"When did you do that?" Rumbled the deep and power laced voice of Harbinger to his cohort, gesturing with his Glaive to the Blue orbs within the hood of Sicarius' cloak.

"It's just a little conjuring spell that the wife came up with, we don't have the same spells on our cloaks that you do…" Sicarius then drew his sword and held it parallel to his face inspecting it before lowering it to his side and drawing his wand in his offhand. "... Although it would be incredibly handy."

"We'll get Prudentia onto reverse engineering it later." Harbinger said as he flexed his legs, "Let's go."

The pair tensed and charged, running into the swarm of Inferi who were crowding each other, all single minded in their wanting to get to the middle of the fight to get their quarry.

Harbinger was like lightning as he let his Aura erupt from him, causing the ground to lurch beneath their feet, a few Inferi stumbling before Glaives tore through them, sending them to the ground. The Glaives absorbed the magic from the Inferi as it hit them, and as Harbinger cut a swathe into the enemy they were glowing a deep bright red, powerful and begging for release.

Harbinger was only too happy to oblige as he cast a quick _"Obliterate,"_ a beam erupting from the end of the each Glaives as it converged and dissipated, the sheer number of Inferi that were hit by the spell caused a huge gap in the crowd before them. Sicarius beside him, his sword slick with dried, rotting blood and gore, nodded as they both ran forward into the quickly closing clearing before they were shut out by the swarm of Inferi now storming toward them.

Harbinger recognized the familiar face of the missing Divination teacher as he cut her rotting corpse down, a small part of him noted the runes carved into her flesh and the damage done to her physical form, however he never slowed in his assault on the raised dead before him as he spun to slash at another he felt was too close to his back.

The pair of them were quickly becoming the main focus for the entire horde now completely surrounding them, even a few Death Eaters turning to them to see the cause of the commotion. Harbinger chanced another look at Sicarius and said one word that made Sicarius literally bounce with glee. "Firestorm."

Sicarius dropped his sword to the ground, clasped his wand in his right hand and let his blue spark laden aura forth. He began to sweep his wand high above his head, as Harbinger Shadow Stepped around him, cutting through the incoming Inferi so fast he was barely flickering in and out of sight, an ever so brief flash of gold and red.

Before anyone knew it, the area where the Inferi were had become a fiery tornado, located in the eye of the storm was Sicarius who was pumping all the power he could into the spell, causing the fire to surround them in a twenty-foot circle, decimating all it came in contact with as it climbed to the heavens.

Harbinger had depleted the forces within the storm's eye that threatened them, and pushed the power within him into his aura, merging it with Sicarius' firestorm, more than doubling the storm in size as it encroached upon the surrounding muggle homes. The ground was rumbling beneath the pair, as the storm took on a red hue, becoming laden with lightning that was striking out at Death Eaters that were looking on in a mixture of Horror and awe. A handful of Death Eaters were stuck by the lightning, exploding upon contact due to the sheer power it contained.

With equal primal roars, Sicarius and Harbinger drew the surrounding firestorm into their wands and released it forwards. The sheer heat and intensity of the blast eliminated all remaining Inferi, and a few Death Eaters who weren't intelligent enough to move or Apparate away. The few surviving Aurors and Hitwizards Apparated away too, out of fear and seeing their chance for survival.

Voldemort conjured a large wall before him that seemed to be coated with a spell that deflected the blast into the sky.

As the pair stopped the spell, and Voldemort banished the wall, Harbinger and Sicarius both noted that Voldemort had Petunia and Vernon Dursley with him.

"Potter!" Voldemort screeched, now knowing that, to his dismay, the one carrying the red Glaives was in fact Harry Potter, and that the female that wielded the Green was his wife. He had no idea however, who wore the blue eyed outfit.

"Tom." Harbinger replied, not giving a second thought to being called out.

Harry felt through his Magical Perception, the familiar feeling of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel who had at some point Shadow Stepped into the street but they were up high, he suspected that they were sitting on a rooftop observing the carnage below, obviously having been told by Grace that the battle had commenced. He felt that they had brought a few more people to observe the battle with them, but they didn't interfere thankfully.

"Are you not going to try and save your relatives, Potter?" Voldemort sneered, "Family, you hold so dear…"

"Nope…" Harbinger replied.

To his credit, Voldemort looked shocked, however Vernon looked incensed. "Now see here boy!" Vernon raged, his face going purple. "You and your bunch of freak friends can take your light shows and dress ups and leave us normal folk alone! Go on, piss off."

"I see…" Voldemort said, feeling nothing but venom and hatred emanating from the overly large man and his stick figure wife. "Well perhaps there can be some use for you after all, fat man." Voldemort sneered.

Vernon looked at the man who had taken him and his wife hostage with pure hatred. "I will not be used… like… like some puppet."

"That remains to be seen…" Voldemort said, pointing his wand at Vernon, _"Imperio."_

Once Vernon was under the spell, an odd look of calm came over him before he was obviously instructed to give into his hatred and rage, and stood, charging at the one wielding the red weapons.

Harbinger didn't flinch as he raised a Glaive, turned it into a wand and pointed it at the charging Vernon. _"Confringo."_ He said softly, as the blasting hex connected with the fat man and he exploded into a pulpy mass, blood and gore drenching the street in front of his family home.

Petunia had decided to take a side route as Harbinger stepped forward, striding towards his true quarry, Voldemort. "He's mine by the way, Sicarius." Harbinger growled lowly as he stalked forwards. "Bellatrix is yours."

Bellatrix let forth a maddening cackle, "Ohhh pwetty bwue eyes gonna pway wif meeee?" She crooned in her antagonizing baby talk.

Neville chuckled maniacally and stalked forwards alongside Harry, they both dropped their hoods. As they did so Petunia leapt at them from the side, Harry simply raised a hand, eyes still on Voldemort and pushed out nothing but raw power, the spell-less magic enveloped the charging Petunia, as well as #4 Privet Drive, vaporising both, leaving nothing but dust and ashes.

Voldemort flinched slightly at the dark, raging fury that lay within the eyes of the stalking Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom, for he knew both were now facing down the people that destroyed their parents.

Harry Shadow Stepped behind Voldemort, and slashed at him with his off-hand Glaive, barely missing Voldemort who dodged, spun and conjured a sword. Harry then pointed his main-hand as a wand and banished Voldemort backward, who wasn't ready for a magical attack.

Voldemort swung with his sword as he fell backward, catching Harry's Glaive as the blow was deflected to the side.

Harry then Shadow Stepped again to the side of Voldemort, allowing his aura and fury to consume him while he fought, he cast a wandless summoning charm at Voldemort's sword, who to his credit, held onto it stumbling toward him slightly, but that was enough for Harry to cut down his forearm during the distraction.

As the Blade sunk into Voldemort's flesh he screamed in pain and rage as Harry then kicked at his midsection, grabbed Voldemort's sword hand and twisted with every ounce of strength he had. He heard the sweet sounds of bones breaking, and the howl of Voldemort's pain. Twisting the wrist further and his body in the opposite direction, he managed a sidekick to Voldemort's midsection, causing his nemesis to stumble backwards.

In the stumble, Voldemort had his wand levelled at Harry's face and cast a powerful cutting curse, to which Harry merely Shadow Stepped, moving now behind Voldemort he kicked him in the lower back with a large amount of power, forcing Voldemort forwards.

Taking the advantage, Harry Shadow Stepped the short distance, re-appearing in the air above and to the front of Voldemort, fists raised, fingers linked together above his own head, as he let gravity do its job, he brought his closed fists down on top of Voldemort's head, who collapsed to the ground in a heap. Voldemort quickly rolled onto his back making ready to stand again, but Harry who had been working furiously with Ginny on his speed was far quicker.

.

Whilst Harry stalked his foe then Shadow Stepped away, Neville Longbottom took a direct approach, charging at Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the murderers of his parents.

Bellatrix was shocked to see the Longbottom boy possessed a similar level of power to Potter. But she figured since her master didn't interfere, he must approve of her fighting and killing him.

Neville was a blur of motion as he broke into a run, Bellatrix cast a vast array of curses at him that had him dodging side to side, tucking and rolling, but he never lost his momentum.

Normally, Neville wouldn't ever think of violence against a woman, however he long since thought that Bellatrix Lestrange was anything of a sort, like Harry, he allowed his fury and aura take him as he rode his instincts in this fight. As he got in close to Bellatrix, he managed to land a punch to her gut, causing her to buckle in pain from the power inlaid blow.

He spun around her, ending the movement behind her and cast a banishing charm at the back of her head, sending her falling forwards. In another quick movement, he grabbed her long, filthy and matted hair, turned and with all of his strength he flicked her over his shoulder forcing her body to hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

Bellatrix tried to reach for her dropped wand, but to her dismay she couldn't move her arm, she tried her other one, but she couldn't feel anything but pain throughout her entire body.

Neville stood over her and looked down upon Bellatrix with nothing but disdain and disgust as she lay there helpless and unmoving. "Not such a comforting feeling is it?" He growled. "This is how my parents must have felt when they were being attacked. Useless, and terrified."

Neville saw the look of terror flash through Bellatrix's dark beady eyes, causing Neville to chuckle darkly. "That's it… Now, I just want you to know it was a Longbottom that ended you." He growled as he then raised a foot, loaded his legs with all the Magical Power he could muster and stomped down hard on her head, the resulting sound was somewhat like what a watermelon dropped from a tower would make, the mess wasn't much different either.

.

Harry Shadow Stepped again with such speed that he caused a pressure wave to knock Voldemort to the ground, he then landed on top of Voldemort, straddling him, as he began to pummel him with his fists. His arms firing up and down like pistons in a blur of motion that had onlookers, both on the rooftops and Death Eaters who hadn't left but were watching the fight looking on in fear.

Harry then joined his hands together again and brought them down onto Voldemort's face. "You'll-Never-Get-My-GINEVRA!" He roared, as he punctuated each word with a blow that held every bit of strength he had in his enhanced body. He then back flipped off of Voldemort, picking up one of his forgotten Glaives he had dropped in the fight in the movement and landed on his feet, wand now levelled at Voldemort, he then screamed the two most feared words in the magical world during this war. _"AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ Harry roared, his hatred for Voldemort filling him as the green light erupted from his wand and hit his foe in the chest.

Voldemort lay there… still and unmoving. There was a high keening feminine wail that seemed to escape from around his body and dissipated into the night air. While Harry was frozen, wondering what the screaming meant, Voldemort coughed up some blood, chuckled and grabbed something on his neck, he was immediately enveloped in a blue glow before he vanished by portkey, very much still alive.

All anyone heard for miles was Harry screaming in unbridled Fury.

.

Neville caught movement out of the corner of his eye, following it he saw a Death Eater sneaking up on Harry who was still fighting Voldemort. Neville Shadow Stepped behind him, grabbed the man's wand shoulder, and with his magically enhanced strength he wrenched back, snapping the collarbone and several other smaller bones in the back and chest.

The man cried out in pain and spun with the movement. Neville recognised him as Bellatrix's husband, Rodolphus. Neville grabbed the man's good arm and throat. He lifted him up into the air by the neck as he squeezed the life from him. "This is for my mother, you sick son of a bitch." Neville growled as he crushed at the rapist's throat, having heard stories through pureblood channels of what had happened to his parents, in gruesome detail. Rodolphus kicked and struggled, but could do nothing but look into Neville's eyes in fear as the last of his life left him.

Neville tossed Rodolphus down in front of him and snapped his neck for good measure, before he heard, saw and felt Harry's rage filled scream.

* * *

.

* * *

A/N. Thanks for all the reviews and favorites! I had a lot of fun with this chapter, you might be able to tell.

One of the songs that was repeated the most during the writing of this chapter was 'Wash it all Away,' by Five Finger Death Punch. Never listened to their music before but I really enjoyed this song and a couple of others.

Thanks for sticking with me through writing this book and how long it's taken me with the Real Life interruptions, don't worry there's still more to go!


	11. Chapter 11

**.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11. Human After All.**

As soon as Nicholas and Perenelle arrived at Privet Drive, their senses were immediately assaulted by a huge Firestorm spell that rose up into the heavens. At the center of the fiery tornado, they saw Neville Longbottom's blue shimmering aura as he channeled his power into the massive spell, and the flickering of Harry who was clearing out the eye of the storm rather quickly vanishing and reappearing.

Harry's fast movement was causing pressure waves within the storm, resulting in tendrils of flame leaping out at odd angles, and more often than not it enveloped an Inferi, vaporising them rather effectively, even if the effect wasn't intentional.

"Well, I'll admit when I heard Ginny was hurt, I was expecting Harry to be worked up, but this is astounding." Nicholas said as Harry combined his Aura with Neville's spell, the heat of the spell increased tenfold, and Nicholas cast a cooling charm over the group to counter the now enhanced Firestorm's effect as they watched on.

Nicholas looked past his wife along the rooftop to see, Fred, George and Bill Weasley, watching the scene below with awed expressions. Sirius Black was wearing one of the largest and most pride filled, and entertained grins he had ever seen on the man, Hermione Granger and Katie Bell were wide eyed, watching in something akin to fear and shock, no doubt in relation to the ruthlessness shown by the pair down on the street.

No one responded to him as they all watched the storm draw back down to the boys' wands, and launch toward Tom Riddle who deflected the blast.

"Potter!" They heard Voldemort screech.

"Well, it seems the cat it out of the bag then, what does Harry have planned from here?" Perenelle asked the group softly.

"We abandoned Hogwarts today..." Fred said, tearing his eyes from the battle to see Perenelle and Nicholas had arrived.

"Since Gin-bug was attacked…"

"And Harry, Nev and Grace wiped out the Death Eater spawn…"

"And stepped on the Pink Toad…"

"Everyone agreed it was safest…" Gred and Forge finished solemnly.

"Anything could happen now." Hermione said finally, "It's definitely much safer to continue our studies in pri… Oh my…" Hermione gasped as she saw Harry blast his uncle, both he and Neville remove their hoods and Harry launch raw energy at the home he grew up in, consuming his charging aunt and the home he grew up in, in the blast. "I knew he was angry… But this… He's losing control..." Hermione whispered, as both Harry and Neville launched their attacks at their respective enemies.

"No Hermione, I think he's in complete control, just enraged… How come you're all up here?" Nicholas asked, "I thought you all would be in the thick of it."

"Tactically speaking," Bill answered. "Harry is used to fighting with only one teammate. He believes that any more would hamper him… And seeing this, compared to Hogsmeade... I - I agree… The only other person apart from Neville that could fight with him like that is Ginny…" Bill finished as he watched Harry gain the upper hand on Voldemort almost immediately in the fight.

"Or Grace." Sirius answered almost aggressively in defence of his adoptive daughter, "She fights just as good as Neville…"

They watched the fight evolve to the point where Harry had Voldemort on the ground, his fists moving so fast that his entire arms were nothing but a blur, and Neville had stomped the life out of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Wow…" Nicholas exclaimed, "Harry has really been working on his speed hasn't he? Neville has been training too..."

"Yeah, Harry's been slightly annoyed about how much slower he is than, Ginny." Bill answered, "He still reckons she's much faster, but I don't think he's been this mad, or wanted to destroy something so badly before."

"I've seen him like this once before…" Nicholas said softly.

 _Nicholas had just wandlessly launched a very powerful reductor curse at Ginny's feet, and Harry went wide eyed, he Shadow Stepped in front of the spell so it wouldn't hit her while she was fighting Perenelle. He re-appeared in front of the spell and it hit him in the side of the face, knocking him back several feet._

 _He was still standing but crouched, having slid back on his feet using a hand and Magic to keep him standing. Blood was running down his face now, but he didn't care. In short he was furious._

 _Nicholas saw this and a chill of fear ran through his system, Perenelle and Ginny stopped dueling too, they were now watching Harry, as he stood lightning was crackling off his skin, launching out toward the ground._

 _Harry put his wands away, fists clenched, he let out a roar which was drowned out by a bone rattling BOOM! That shook the world around them, golden-red light filled their vision, a moment later Harry was standing there amidst what looked like to be a large whirlwind of fire caused by his aura, the red was licking the ceiling of the room which was hundreds of meters high, as it was twisting around as a thin column of red fire, the light of the room turned dark around them. Sparks crackling around him, a golden sphere of energy swirling around him. Green eyes glowing amidst all of this._

 _Harry looked intense, ready to kill, he realized Nicholas was an ally simply training him. However he couldn't help but feel the Fury at his blindside attack on Ginny. It was the same Fury he used whenever he fought a Death Eater._

" _Do you want to try that again Nick, or do you surrender." Harry said simply in a tone reminiscent of Harbinger, laced with power._

 _Nicholas' eyes widened, he certainly wasn't going to push Harry in this state. He probably wouldn't survive a simple stunning spell. He raised his hands, palms facing Harry and holstered his wands, Perenelle did the same._

 _Two bludgeoning spells hit Harry's aura from the side, followed by a volley of cutting curses and stunning spells. The training dummies were still active and a group of 10 of them had just flanked him from the side, seeing what they believed to be an opportune moment._

 _Harry raised his left arm and looked at the Dummies that were still attacking him, forefinger, index finger and thumb making a triangle shape he roared out "OBLITERATE!" A massive column of Golden light the size of a house launched from his hand and enveloped the dummies, evaporating them. As the golden light vanished the group looked on in horror, beneath Harry was a crater several meters deep and just as wide. He was floating above it, before he Shadow Stepped over to where Nicholas had been standing at the edge of the newly formed crater._

Nicholas' reverie was interrupted by Harry's rage filled voice, "You'll-Never-Get-My-GINEVRA!" He then watched in a mixture of shock and fear as Harry cast the Avada Kedavra, causing most on the rooftop to gasp. What increased Nicholas' fear tenfold was the feminine screaming that erupted from Voldemort, and instead of him dying he just vanished by portkey, leaving a screaming Harry on the street.

The remaining Death Eaters, were about to reach for their wands to attack, some their portkeys, causing Nicholas to leap into action. "Move!" He then Shadow Stepped onto the street, released his sword and wand and cut the hands off and killed as many Death Eaters he could in the short time he had.

Nicholas was quickly joined by his wife, Sirius and Bill, who all had been training hard with him. Hermione and the others were much slower to react, and Shadow Stepped into the street below, some of their spells however missed their marks as the Death Eaters vanished by Portkey or Apparition.

As the Death Eaters were leaving, they heard mixed in, the pops of Aurors apparating back into the street to investigate what had happened, only to see Harry Potter standing in the middle of the street, screaming in rage. His Glaives in his hands, Aura surrounding him, reaching to the heavens as he roared.

Nicholas, made his way to Harry. He knew Ginny may be the only one who could calm him, but he had to try anyway. "Harry!" Nicholas shouted as he reached the edge of the young man's aura, not willing to step any closer, less he be injured by the unrestrained power. "Harry, we need to get back to Ginny!" He shouted at him, hoping he could penetrate the anger filling the boy.

Harry stopped, looked at Nicholas and Shadow Stepped away, hopefully to Potter Manor.

Nicholas and the others all followed suit.

* * *

Harry didn't immediately head to Potter Manor, instead he headed to his and Ginny's island. Needing to calm down before he destroyed anything, or hurt anyone. He looked out over the beach to the Ocean… It was peaceful.

" _Obliterate!"_ He roared, both Glaives now wands which were pointed out towards the water, as the spell erupted from both and coalesced into one solid beam that could have destroyed Hogwarts itself were he so inclined.

The magical energy vaporised water in its path until it dissipated, leaving an empty trench in its wake, steam emanating from where the water had evaporated as the ocean began to flow back to fill the void.

Harry closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Having released a large amount of Magical Power helped to calm him somewhat, as he then concentrated on getting his aura under control. It took some doing, but he was able to bring himself down to a level where the sparks stopped and he felt more in control of himself.

He felt a presence within him again, one he hadn't felt for some hours, "Ginny." He whispered aloud, eyes springing open and he was now wearing a small smile as he Shadow Stepped to her side in Potter Manor.

As Harry arrived in the sitting room of the Manor, he was immediately enveloped in a hug from his wife, and he reacted naturally pulling her closer to him. "Gin," he whispered as he buried his face into her neck and thick, soft hair; taking in the well-known scent as the evening's events caught up with him.

"Hey, love…" Ginny said softly, as she squeezed him. "I hear you and Neville had a nice boy's night out…" She said louder than before, earning a few laughs from the other occupants of the room.

"Yeah… After… well you know." Harry leaned back to look into her eyes. "Voldemort struck at Surrey, the Dursleys." Harry shrugged.

"Well if he knew you…" Ginny said smiling, "he would have struck anywhere else in the world."

"He had already struck at the center of my world." Harry whispered and smirked sadly at her, stroking her cheek with one hand and tightening his hold on her slightly with the other causing her to smile back to him. "I'm so glad you're okay… Though I should probably show you what happened." Harry said, releasing her from his grasp, taking one of her hands instead and looking around the room. There were some somber expressions worn by many in the group as they looked up at him from their seats.

Harry figured they were probably worried that since he hit Voldemort with the Avada Kedavra, he himself was going Dark; and the fact it seemed Voldemort couldn't be killed. He was worried about one of those things himself.

With his Horcruxes depleted, having been consumed to restore Voldemort's physical form, Voldemort should have died the moment the Killing Curse impacted with his body. A fact that he, nor his Death Eaters knew about thanks to Dumbledore, probably the only thing that the old meddling bastard did right in his lifetime.

As Harry was fighting at a highly elevated power level, there should have been no way that Voldemort would have deflected, absorbed or dissipated the curse in any way that wasn't by conjuring or summoning something physical to be destroyed in his place.

"Harry," Nicholas said wearing a smirk, breaking the powerful, raven haired teen from his thoughts. "You don't have to worry, using the Avada Kedavra doesn't mean you're evil... It just means that you have enough hatred towards one person to pull it off. If it were the Cruciatus though..." Nicholas said as though he could read Harry's thoughts. Though he had known Harry long enough he probably could predict what was running through his head. Nicholas began rubbing his chin deep in thought before he spoke again. "Back to Voldemort… something was… off with what happened when you used that spell. He should have died right there."

"Yeah. I'll look at the memory and make sure there wasn't something I missed in the battle." Harry said with a frown. "Although that screaming…" Harry shuddered. "It sounded like many lifetimes worth of torture…"

"Yes… that is definitely the key to figuring out how he managed to leave tonight..." Perenelle mused, her thoughts aligning to his and Nicholas'.

Harry nodded, "Thanks Nick, Perenelle," He then led Ginny out of the room to the Study where the Pensieve was kept. "Get some rest guys, we can talk about everything else in the afternoon." Harry called over his shoulder to the somber and thoughtful group as he exited.

* * *

Late the next day, a well-rested group were seated around the sitting room of Potter Manor, Ginny and Grace were tucked in close to their husbands, Ginny on Harry's lap and Grace tucked under Neville's arm. Hermione too; was sitting close to George, but they merely held hands. Even Lily and James were holding one another closely in the portrait as they listened intently to the goings on of the Wizarding World.

Amelia had just returned from the Ministry, stating that the Magical Government was up in arms with the damage done to the Statute of Secrecy, what with Harry and Neville's Firestorm that evolved into a fiery tornado, and Voldemort's Inferi. She had also informed the group that she handed in her resignation, and told the Ministry she was intending to 'Travel Abroad.' Thicknesse had told her that it was sad to see her leave, and there would always be a place for a Pure Witch like herself when she returned. The thought made her shudder, and that revelation had told the others that Thicknesse was Imperioused, or had shifted to Voldemort's regime for some unknown reason.

The headline of the Daily Prophet that day practically screamed out to the group as they looked on thoughtfully. _**"Potter, Vigilante Unhinged."**_ The picture showed an image of Harry that Colin Creevey must have taken of him, it was a zoomed in picture of he and Ginny sitting in the Gryffindor common room, where his eyes were narrowed, at a person beyond the camera into the distance, the scar on his face prominent in the black and white picture, and the Glamour of his old Lightning bolt shaped scar still present.

The scar on his forehead, missing since he merged his soul with the slither of Tom Riddle's soul within, had been maintained since his second year as a glamour charm to keep up the image to Dumbledore and anyone else who knew about Tom Riddle's splintered soul showing that nothing had changed. Now that he had no one, or no reason to keep the charm in place, he let it fall, leaving only the thin, curse scar across his face from the battle of Hogsmeade.

The article, the latest works of Rita Skeeter which reeked of Death Eater; confirming their theory that she was either one of or affiliated with them, described Harry as though since the fall of Dumbledore, he and by extension Ginny had become more and more unhinged, which eventually resulted in the killing of Dolores Umbridge and five of their classmates when they truly went insane and that Theodore Nott had escaped, only to be cut down by him at Surrey.

Later in the article, it detailed that pending Auror investigation, Hogwarts would be closed until further notice, with the excuse that the pair were known to live in a little known room within the school, that the Headmistress didn't have access to, and they had kidnapped their friends. A thorough search of the school was still being conducted.

There was a quote from Ron Weasley, stating that Harry had slowly become more and more insane since he and Ginny became married at the end of their second year, ditching his best friend for the twin sister and with the article concluding that Ginny's influence of him had destroyed the boy who lived.

"Well…" Harry said as he looked up from the article with a smirk. "It looks like you were right Hermione, the school is shutting down."

"Yes, and it seems your warning towards the Ministry and Wizarding world as a whole was unheeded, and with Thicknesse acting out of sorts, it seems like Voldemort has made another move." Hermione surmised rubbing her forehead thoughtfully. "I would hazard a guess they are the ones largely in control of this article and had a large hand in the shutdown of the school, in order to gain control of it."

"And again." Neville set fire the paper in front of him then growled, "The Prophet makes the worst people imaginable into some sort of heroes." He then chuckled, "I suppose Umbitch never made any public mistakes…"

Nicholas nodded, "With the school closed, we have to worry about the Ministry and Voldemort reopening it under their dictation... An empty school holds no resistance to take over. Even when the Ministry falls, the school should continue on, teaching young witches and wizards a mixture of magic and muggle curriculums. _That_ would eventually fully ingrain the Magical and Muggle worlds, allowing for magical people to blend into society." Nicholas finished looking around the room at the nodding heads, all in agreement that Magic should still be taught.

Harry sat listening intently to Nicholas, while stroking Ginny's soft hair, which she kept back in a ponytail, and breathing in her calming, flowery scent he loved so much. As a goal, what they wanted was attainable. The school could act independently, be self-governing and assisting students in the merging with muggles once they graduated, the trick would be keeping it free from corruption.

The only real hurdle would be the Goblins and people who were unswayed in their actions, like Draco Malfoy and his gang, bred and raised to be wholly Pure-Blood bigots, seeking control and power for themselves. Once that flame of influence was cut down, it was an entirely possible goal.

"Right," Harry said softly, thinking out loud. "We need to keep an eye on Hogwarts, and movements within the Ministry now."

"With the cloak, any one person at a time can keep an eye on the school." Grace spoke up, "Although working in pairs would be more ideal."

"As much as I want to agree," Sirius said with a frown as he looked down at the desk and then to Amelia, "I say we let Hogwarts fall for now…" He looked around the room when his suggestion wasn't immediately shot down. "Allowing it to fall will keep our manpower where we need it, and we are sneaky and powerful enough to enter the school undetected to take it back over."

"That holds merit…" Perenelle said softly looking to Hermione who looked a mixture of horror and angst. "Perhaps Hermione and I should save some books that may become useful? No doubt when the school is moved in on, they will remove a good portion of learning material… In favour of less savoury material..."

Hermione smirked and nodded at the thought of raiding the vast library of the school. With the agreeance of the group the pair left to relieve Hogwarts of books, utilizing Harry's cloak and the Shadow Step to enter and exit completely undetected.

"Well done Sirius!" Came the jovial voice of Lily from the painting, "You made a contribution. Who's a good boy?"

"Oi!" Sirius said, turning to the portrait of a now laughing Lily and James, "I'm more than a pretty face, you know!"

"Yes, you're a rather annoying fleabag." Lily smirked at him. The room around them broke into laughter at the pairs back and forth."

"Now, Harry…" Nicholas said, once the laughter had died down, looking toward the young man and his wife. "Did you notice something off about the scream that left Voldemort? I certainly did..."

"Yeah I did." Harry said softly, even through all of his rage, he heard, felt and sensed the scream and whatever else was released from Voldemort didn't belong. Viewing the memory again with Ginny only confirmed it.

"After I had a look through your memory, I noticed the Inferi… Trelawney had Runes carved into her." Nicholas said sadly, "She died a horrible death, Harry." Harry looked up into Nicholas' eyes and saw the sadness that was there, thinking the eventual death of the Hogwarts Divination Professor must have been truly horrific, something she definitely didn't deserve. "He raised an ancient blood protection, through a horrific ritual, almost the exact opposite of your mother."

"Opposite?" Ginny asked worriedly, if anyone was looking they would have seen that Lily and James were wearing the same horror struck look that Ginny was.

"Not in the way you are thinking, Ginevra." Nicholas said softly. "It doesn't counteract Lily's protection which was made out of pure selfless love for her son, no it simply uses hate and selfishness to contain Trelawney's soul as a shield to protect his own life. That is how he able to leave that fight alive, he should have died long before the Avada Kedavra was cast."

Nicholas then looked at Harry with a powerful look in his eyes, "You must be careful, Harry. You have now shown Voldemort you completely out class him, that was a brilliant fight to watch, however Voldemort may find some other way to protect his life, so when you get the chance to kill him next…" Nicholas paused for a moment in thought. "Destroy the body, make sure there is no trace of him left in this realm."

* * *

Harry woke up with a start to find Ginny glaring at him, her eyes burning holes in his. "You know Harry, it's really your fault that I was attacked."

"What? What do you mean Gin?" Harry asked in surprise. "Umbridge and Yaxley attacked you under orders from Voldemort…"

"Who allowed him to return Harry?" Ginny said looking down, then meeting his eyes again with an angry glare. "Who allowed him to kill so many, to kill my father? To nearly kill me?"

"I let him return…" Harry said softly, "But the Death Eaters and Dumbledore… they were the ones who acted of their own accord."

"Dumbledore and the Death Eaters would have no reason to act if you hadn't allowed _him_ to take your blood, to return… to kill." Ginny snapped.

Harry didn't say anything, he hadn't seen Ginny this angry with him before. It was odd, and then something even odder happened. Her eyes turned red, like Voldemort's. "You have so much blood on your hands Harry… Harry… HARRY!"

Harry sprung awake, panting, shaking and drenched in a cold sweat, to Ginny's shaking of him. "Harry… I don't think that at all!"

Harry nodded and just lay there panting.

"Harry, please talk to me." Ginny whispered, "Last time you had a nightmare you went a little… well I couldn't wake you…" She started getting saddened. "Last time it was from our separation during tournament, now it was because I was hurt… it could get much worse this time, you need to talk to me... Please…"

They both sat there silently for a while, "I don't want to be like him… I can't lose you, Gin." Harry said suddenly, staring into her eyes with an intense look. "I… I just… I don't want to be alone again… I can't lose you… or I'll lose myself too... I can't live without you, I know it sounds selfish…"

"I know Harry... I know… Don't worry, I feel the same, I can't live without you now either… I love you Harry, we are and have been for some time now a part of one another. Remember what Nicholas said, when one dies the other will shortly follow… Neither of us will be alone for long." Ginny whispered holding him tightly. "Let's go have to the island, have a workout and blow off some steam, then we can take a shower together." She smirked and winked at him. "We can use the time room for a while, train for some, relax for some… we can be just us for a little bit."

Harry nodded and smiled, he kissed her on the temple softly, "I love you too Ginevra Potter," He whispered lovingly into her ear, causing a light shiver to work its way down her back, then they Shadow Stepped to their island as one.

* * *

"Harry? Ginny?" Hermione shouted through the Ancestral Potter home, she had received a letter from Luna, begging for her and Harry to help Daphne, saying she hadn't heard from her girlfriend since the school closed.

"Where's the fire Hermione?" Grace asked, having heard Hermione's frantic shouts.

"What? Oh… no fire…" Hermione said flustered and thrown off kilter by Grace's use of a muggle saying, "I think we need to get to Daphne and Luna _now."_ She said thrusting the letter to Grace.

Grace read over the letter, thrusting it back to Hermione. "Harry and Ginny are out. By the letter Ginny sent with Fawkes, after she was hurt they need some time alone together, which is understandable, they are only human after all. Neville and I'll go with you."

Hermione nodded as Neville appeared at Grace's side. "You know where we're going Hermione?" Neville asked taking Grace's hand.

Hermione nodded curtly, "One second." Hermione said before Shadow Stepping away and returning with George Weasley. After a quick explanation to the bewildered twin, she held her hand out, which they all took and she Shadow Stepped them away.

The quartet arrived to the house amidst chaos. The Lovegood house was black-coloured and cylindrical, located atop a hill. If the group had time they would have looked around and saw there was a stream at the base that ran past the Burrow, and the village of Ottery St. Catchpole was easily visible from the home.

The group however, didn't have time to view the surroundings or the exquisite scenery, as they came under attack moments after arriving. "You shall feel the wrath of the Dark Lord for corrupting my daughter, Lovegood!" A crazed man shouted repeatedly as he bombarded the giant chess rook shaped home with curses, portions of the house were crumbling away. While the Death Eaters surrounding him began to turn and attack the newcomers.

"Well, we know what they're here for." Neville said before he assumed the command role that he usually took over when Harry wasn't available. "Hermione, George, you're on extraction detail. Disillusion yourselves, get in, get the Lovegoods and put them in the holding cells at the manor, Grace and I will take care of everything out here."

Hermione and George disappeared and went about their task, while Neville and Grace set themselves to work. Grace put up a shield, to deflect the incoming curses, her blue aura crackling to life, Neville let his identical aura out too as he drew his sword and wand.

Neville made his way forward, while Grace covered his back. As Neville ran, his sights were set on one man, Douglas Greengrass. The reason he was here was obvious, and his affiliation with the Death Eaters was also apparent as the man, and his _companions_ had attacked the newcomers without question.

Neville took a leaf out of Harry's book as he Shadow Stepped behind the man and punched him in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious and to the ground in a single blow, quickly casting a portkey on his clothes, causing the man to be encased in a soft blue light and Portkeyed to the holding cells within Potter Manor.

Neville turned his attention to the other Death Eaters present, they were attacking Grace with abandon. Neville cast an anti-portkey and apparition ward over the area, and set to work. He cut a swathe through the Death Eaters before him as he whittled the large number of enemies down with his wife.

Grace, who had acquired a sword that Harry had taken from Malfoy Manor; which she found rather poetic, was cutting and slicing at Death Eaters deftly, her speed causing the sword to sing as it moved. The last two Death Eaters stood before her, she swung, the blade moving through one's neck, as it entered the other's there was a sharp clang, as the sword connected with another.

The head of the Death Eater rolled away, amidst a fountain of blood which Grace immediately and wandlessly banished, revealing Neville. Grace smiled, as they looked into one another's eyes…

"GEORGE!" Hermione's scream cut through the air, shocking the two back into action.

.

Hermione and George entered the home of the Lovegoods, the distraction caused by the Longbottoms was working, as the pair entered the home undetected. The bottom floor, which was loaded with trinkets and odd furniture was devoid of people, causing the pair to make their way up the spiral steps.

Upon entering the landing of the upper floor they heard the screaming of Luna, she was being held under the Cruciatus by a masked Death Eater, her father held by his arms in the grips of another two, battered and bleeding, while the fourth was watching on.

"Come on Marcus," one of the masked men drawled, "Let's have some fun with her before you send her mental… No doubt Greengrass wants his share too, pompous old prick sends us up here to _fetch_ her… he can wait until we've finished with her…"

Hermione saw red, they were going to force themselves upon this girl who had done nothing to these men. She let forth a cutting curse at the Death Eater holding Luna under the Cruciatus, it cut off his wand hand.

Hermione's disillusionment spell collapsed as she cast the spell, causing George to cast a reductor at one of the men holding the elder Lovegood, revealing himself to the room as well. As he did, the man who initially lost his hand to Hermione screamed, and the Death Eater whom George targeted was launched back into the wall behind him with a sickening slap, the reductor caving in his chest.

Hermione spun and cast another cutting curse at the remaining man holding Xeno Lovegood, while George targeted the remaining man who now had his wand out. Hermione managed to separate the arm of the Death Eater she targeted, but George was engaged in a furious battle with the remaining man. He was a good duelist, holding his own against George.

Hermione took the opportunity she had, and Portkeyed both Luna and Xeno to Potter Manor. What she didn't see however was the first man she had cut the hand off had regained himself, as he grabbed her hair. She spun in his grasp, her hair tugging in his hand which was slick with his blood, pointing her wand in his face, but with his handless arm, he slapped it out of her grasp, gripped her hair tighter, turned her and slammed her face into the wall, forcing her into it causing her to daze and see pinpricks of light.

One of Hermione's hands was gripped roughly by the Death Eater, as he wrenched it up behind her back. There was a sickening crunch and pain exploded in her shoulder. "I like it when they have a bit of fight in them." The Death Eater said as he lifted the back of her robes and groped her arse while forcing her face into the wall.

Hermione allowed this as she took a moment to regather herself before she stomped on the man's toes, and cast a wandless bludgeoning hex at his head, she was rewarded with the man's neck snapping back and a loud crunch as he fell to the ground unceremoniously.

Hermione, being out of practice with her training and wandless spells however, collapsed to her knees in magical exhaustion. As she watched George fighting the remaining Death Eater, she chided herself for stopping her training altogether and focusing on study.

George was equal with the Death Eater he was fighting, there was no two ways about it. The fight would last as long as his stamina would, or until one of them made a mistake. As he was thinking this, he nor Hermione noticed the armless Death Eater that Hermione had targeted stand and grab a stray blade owned by the Lovegoods with his remaining arm.

George saw movement out of the corner of his eye, casting a wandless shield charm to quell the attacker in front of him, he turned his wand on the man approaching his side, but it was too late as the blade came down, pain exploded through him as Hermione screamed his name.

Hermione on her feet now, adrenaline coursing through her, was casting cutting and bludgeoning curses, but all were blocked. Her vision was darkening, her magical exhaustion couldn't be held at bay, as she saw Neville and Grace appear in the room and tear the two men apart within moments, and as her world slowly turned black, she saw George, there was so much blood…

.

Neville and Grace appeared in the room, quickly cutting down the two men remaining within a second, before turning their attention to their friends. A quick check over them showed that they both would live, George had lost his left arm from the elbow down, and Hermione was suffering Magical Exhaustion.

A quick check with their Magical Perception, showed no threats or otherwise in the area, so they set to work on the two before them. Neville stunned George to make sure he was out then cauterized his wound to stem the flow of blood, while Grace tended to Hermione, she had a few bruises and some light cuts, but nothing that some bed rest wouldn't fix.

"I'll have to take him to Perenelle." Neville said.

"I'll bring Hermione along, they can rest there." Grace said softly. The pair Shadow Stepped away.

* * *

Once Hermione and Neville had been deposited at the Flamels, Neville had left Grace with them to check on the Lovegoods who were in the holding cells of Potter Manor, as he Shadow Stepped in he heard the sobbing of Luna.

Opening the cell, he saw the girl holding the head of her father in her lap, she looked up at him sadly. "He didn't survive the Portkey." Luna said softly, "Thank you for coming, Neville."

Neville nodded. "I'm sorry we weren't quick enough…"

"Why didn't Harry come?" Luna asked, wiping her tears away. "Not that you aren't good, Neville… It's just… I was expecting…"

"Something happened to Ginny, they are both currently indisposed." Neville said softly. "We didn't even tell him about this, we just acted… It's not like he didn't think you were important."

"Well thank you Neville," Luna said shifting her father gently, standing and making her way over to Neville then she hugged him. "They would have done who knows what to me before I died."

"You're welcome." Neville said, "Now… You can't stay here. Harry isn't around to give you access to the Manor, so we will take you to Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel's island."

"Oh good, the Flamels escaped the Umgubular Slashkilter the late Minister Fudge set on them then?" Luna said airily as she looked to her father. "Daddy was worried when he hadn't heard from them," Neville supposed this was a coping mechanism of hers designed to help her deal with grief.

"I'm sure they did Luna," He said as he put a hand on her shoulder and one on her father before Shadow Stepping them both to the Flamel's Island.

Both Luna and the Flamels gave their permissions for Xeno to be buried on the island, a small tomb created on one of the beaches. Luna stated it would be a beautiful place to be put to rest, and she hoped that one day she would join her father there.

* * *

Neville sighed, sometimes he was tired of this war. All the fighting, wanting to simply exist with his wife, train and better himself for no other reason than the challenge of reaching new heights. This however was not one of those times, he was about to get revenge on one of the people who had organised and attacked the home of the Lovegoods.

Douglas Greengrass was currently in one of the cells of Potter Manor, pacing agitatedly. Neville raised the hood of his robes, allowing the shadowing spell to cover his face and the conjuring spell to take the place of his eyes with the blue orbs that floated within the hood.

"So, Douglas…" Neville said, his deepened voice causing the man to jump, fall to the floor then scurry backwards to the furthest wall from Neville.

"What do you want from me?" Greengrass cowered, as Neville caught the scent of the man soiling himself in his fear. "I've done nothing… You want money? You can have it…"

"An innocent man is dead because of your actions today… Two people are injured and a young girl has lost her father." Neville said as he Shadow Stepped into the cell with the man causing Greengrass to squeal and attempt to become one with the wall. "I want nothing you have to offer, Greengrass… I want justice." Neville said and he picked the man up by the throat, crushing the life from him as he scoured his brain with a power loaded Legilimency spell.

The man collapsed to the ground when Neville was done with him, his throat crushed from Neville's fist and his brain burned out from the Legilimency probe, Neville wasn't cautious nor gentle with his probing.

Without delay, Neville banished the corpse of the man before him to the Ministry of Magic with a light chuckle before he Shadow Stepped to the home of the Greengrass'. In the entryway, he heard the voice of Astoria, shouting at Daphne, that when her father returned she would no doubt be killed.

Neville sent a wandless stunner at Astoria as he entered the room, and caught sight of Daphne. She had been beaten, bruises on her face but she was in reasonably good condition compared to Luna. "It's time, do you have everything?"

"Nice to see you too Longbottom." Daphne said with a smirk. Neville didn't acknowledge her naming him. "Yes, I've had everything shrunk down in my pocket for days… incase…"

"We're leaving now, do you need to say your goodbyes?" Neville asked.

"I need to kick my father in the jewels, but he's not around…" The blonde said shaking her head.

"He's dead... He attacked Luna's home and killed her father."

"No…"

"I'm taking you to Luna, when we make contact with Harbinger, then we will move you to your safe house." Neville said bluntly. Daphne nodded, so Neville moved to her, grabbed her shoulder and Shadow Stepped them both to the Flamels.

"Daffy Duck!" Luna squealed upon their arrival, jumping up from her place on the couch with Perenelle and launching herself into Daphne's arms.

"Moon Goddess…" Daphne chuckled into Luna's hair as they held one another closely. "It's so good to see you!"

"I thought I was going to die in there Daffy…" Luna said candidly.

"I'm so sorry about my Dad… About yours…" Daphne said softly, stroking Luna's back.

"Perhaps you two would like some alone time?" Perenelle said to the pair as she stood and gestured to the hall leading off the room they were in. "We have a room made up for guests, you shall be ours until the Potters decide upon where you are going."

"Thank you…" Daphne said to the three in the room, Grace still sitting in the armchair. "All of you… Thank you for saving her, and dealing with my father."

"Neville?" Grace whispered softly.

"Legilimency burnout." He answered lowering his hood. Grace raised an eyebrow.

"Deserving?"

"Definitely." Both Neville and Daphne answered together, before Perenelle, Luna and Daphne left for the guest rooms.

Neville collapsed on the couch and took Grace's hand in his, where they communicated silently for some time.

* * *

Hermione awoke with a gasp, rolling over she realised George had her in an arm, the remainder of the other in a sling held to his chest. "Minnie…" He said softly causing her to shiver involuntarily at the pet name he had for her, she loved it when he called her that.

"We had no place being there today did we…?" Hermione said softly as she gently touched the bloodied bandage covering the stump of George's now half left arm.

"It's good they got my off hand… I'll never be able to fight like Neville does, but I can still use a wand." George said with a smile, but it slipped off quickly. "No… we haven't trained seriously in too long… Grace and Neville would have done better on their own… Or we should have sent Sirius and Bill..." George said with a frown. "We were sloppy… After I saw Harry and Neville with Voldemort… I thought we could… but we didn't stand a chance… They're leagues beyond what we are, what we were when we stopped training."

"I just felt so useless…" Hermione whimpered. "I let the man grope me… If it were Ginny she would have ripped his arms off… Oh Merlin I killed him…" She said as she broke down into tears and sobbed into George's shoulder.

"Shhh, it's alright love…" George said as he kissed her hair, "We're just not the warriors that Harry and Ginny, or Neville and Grace are. I'm a joker and you're a scholar." George chuckled. "We're fine, I'm fine… ish… I will be… We've just gotta take off Fred's arm now so we're identical again." He laughed softly.

Hermione let out a giggle at that, as she looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you George." Hermione whispered, bringing a serious note back to the conversation. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Minnie." George smirked as he kissed her softly.

The pair lay back in their bed at the Flamels, and drifted off in one another's arms again, emotionally drained from their short conversation.

* * *

Harry and Ginny relaxed on the sand of their island, soaking in the warm sun while lying together.

Ginny's bikini top lay strewn on the sand where it had been forgotten, her body now pressed to his as both were still feeling the after effects of their previous love making.

Harry eyed her appreciably, loving the blush that extended across her pale chest during climax, and remained as evidence for some time after. He reveled in the feeling of her nubile body now pressed to his, feet entangled and the intimate closeness of it all, added by the fact that they could mentally swim in the emotions of the other after their coupling due to their bond.

Intimate wasn't a strong enough word for what they had.

" _Harry… Ginny?"_ The voice of Harry's now good friend and brother in all but blood, Neville sailed across the beach as the pair disentangled themselves to hurriedly dress.

"Hey Neville, what's up?" Harry said cheerily, now dressed from the waist down, Ginny wearing her bikini again, but the orgasmic flush across her chest still present. She could pass that off as spending too much time in the sun however.

"The Lovegoods were attacked, Xeno died, Luna and Daphne are at the Flamels, Hermione and George were injured in the fight, but are recovering well." Neville rattled off, never liking bad news delivered slowly himself, it seemed he assumed Harry was the same.

"How badly injured?" Ginny asked worriedly, she knew George and Hermione had lost a lot of their fighting skills due to their lack of training.

"George lost part of his left arm, elbow down." Neville said, before he looked away then back into Harry and Ginny's eyes, obviously assessing how much he should tell them. "Hermione was nearly raped… she was beat up a little before she got herself out of it and suffered magical exhaustion in the process."

"Bloody -" Harry muttered

"- Hell…" Ginny finished in a whisper.

"Yeah…" was all Neville could add with a shrug.

"No one… and I mean _no one,_ who hasn't kept up their training fights." Ginny said in a fury that had her eyes flashing, as she looked up to Harry, who nodded when she squeezed him. Neville agreed wholeheartedly.

"Grace and I have a plan…" Neville said with a feral smirk as Grace appeared at his side with a grin to match.

* * *

Ginny and Harry appeared at Hermione and George's bedside at the Flamels. They had a busy afternoon, discussing Grace and Neville's plan and moving Luna and Daphne to the home in France.

The Potters were apologetic for not being timelier with the move, however Luna and Daphne brushed it off, happy that they had been relocated, even with the loss of Luna's father.

The pair were happy, they had been given hundreds of Galleons and a few thousand Euros to get them by for the moment, however the house was stocked, the girls had clothes and supplies to get them through at least a year, so Harry and Ginny were doubtful about being contacted by the two needing anything.

Grace told them Fawkes had agreed to play the part of messenger.

Now as they stood by the bed, and watched George and Hermione sleep, they couldn't help but feel melancholy for what their friends had been through.

' _We're ending this.'_ Harry heard Ginny think to him. ' _I can't lose anyone else… we are ending that bastard. Then we are fixing the wizarding world.'_

' _Yeah love.'_ Harry thought back, scowling at the bed. Anger at himself and Voldemort coursing through him, _'Whatever it takes.'_

' _NO!_ ' She practically screamed in his head. ' _I am NOT losing anyone else…'_ Ginny was glaring at him now, eyes flashing with unshed tears, passion and pain. '... _Especially not you Harry Potter!'_

Harry nodded and moved around the bed to her side, pulling her into a tight loving hug. ' _Okay Ginevra… okay…'_

* * *

Two weeks after the battle at Privet Drive, Voldemort still found himself recovering from his ordeal.

Potter had shown him to be a worthy adversary, more than that, in their last skirmish he had utterly annihilated Voldemort, the Dark Lord not even landing a single blow against Potter in their fight.

As he lay there contemplating all that had happened since his resurrection he came to the conclusion that Malfoy and Snape were partially to blame for not taking care of Potter when they could, he could have come up with another way to return to power... Worse still, both of them cowered under his protection, and that of the Fidelius Charmed Manor.

True, his last orders to Snape were to stay behind and ensure none of the Death Eaters got out of hand, but during the battle, the man supposedly did nothing but sneer at a few of them then retire to his potions laboratory.

The Death Eaters, with no supervision and left to their own devices, helped themselves to the women, children and even captive men in the basement of the home.

It wasn't until Voldemort returned by Portkey, face and head pulverised like an overly tender piece of meat that there was any real action from the Potions Master. Even then, it was only to order the youngest Malfoy to administer potions, heal wounds and tend to his beck and call.

Voldemort did his best not to lash out at the Malfoy for every slip and detail. However, the Dark Lord had, in one night, lost his entire Army of Inferi to Potter and Longbottom, as well as Bellatrix, Rodolphus and many other faithful and worthy Death Eaters. He was left with nothing more than a handful of Veterans and new recruits.

What infuriated him further was that none of the captured seemed to ever appear at the Ministry. It was as though the Vigilantes had killed them outright or taken them to their hideout. His cleaners reported there were no usable bodies to scavenge for a new Inferi army, he would have to make do with sending his people to raid graveyards for a new _pile_.

Still, there was an upside. With both Potters and Longbottoms now ousted as the Vigilantes, the Ministry of Magic was now calling for them to attend trial for multiple counts of murder and terrorism. They were yet to show up, however this was only good news for Voldemort who wanted to be in the building himself when they eventually did appear, so he could end them by his own hand, a surprise attack would be ideal.

The recovery of the Dark Lord was painstakingly slow one, as Draco Malfoy once more entered the room, removing him from his thoughts.

"Milord." Malfoy said almost cheerily, "I-I have another round of potions for you, sir."

Voldemort took the tray from the teenager and downed them all with one gulp. He eyed his now youngest Death Eater with apprehension as he backed towards the door. _'Yes… Partly his fault.'_ he thought to himself watching the boy as he thought about how Potter had beat him thoroughly all those nights ago.

"Draco…?" Voldemort sneered.

"My…" Malfoy stammered, seeing the Dark Lord's wand levelled at him.

" _Crucio!"_ Voldemort screeched as he flicked the wand at the Malfoy heir, who collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, twisting and flexing at odd angles. Screaming out in agony until the curse was lifted by his master. "Send Severus in…" Voldemort sneered at Malfoy as he panted and struggled to get to his feet. "Best you be off, Malfoy… I've been feeling rather… agitated of late." Voldemort practically hissed as Malfoy, belying his pain, stood and ran from the room as quickly as his legs would carry him.

Voldemort sat there patiently, wand in hand, and it wasn't five minutes later that Severus Snape walked in, a lofty expression on his face, _'Oh how I loathe that expression on those features...'_ Voldemort thought to himself, as he quickly levelled his wand at the Potions Master.

' _CRUCIO!'_ Voldemort screeched, causing Snape to immediately drop to the ground and scream out in pain, twitching and writhing on the ground, Voldemort's hate for the man increasing by the second and the curse intensified, the more he wanted to inflict pain, the more powerful it got. After several minutes of the joyous, melodical yet blood chilling screams, Voldemort reluctantly lifted the curse.

"You have been punished for your failure in dealing with the Potter boy," Voldemort sneered, "And your misinformation about the power the boy commanded, never did you say it rivalled that of Dumbledore's, let alone my own!"

Snape made no movement, and no noise, apart from the little moans that accompanied the deep shuddering breaths taken by his sprawled form on the floor of the room. He was twitching every few seconds, as aftershocks buzzed the nerve endings. Voldemort, hoping the effect was permanent to _assist_ in reminding him of his failures while brewing, called for another assistant to remove Severus from his quarters, before he stood and left the room, albeit a little slowly due to his lingering injuries. He was still, unfortunately, human after all.

' _Potter has been too quiet of late…'_ He thought to himself as he walked through the empty halls of the home, '... _Time to find out what he's up to.'_

* * *

.

* * *

A/N. Hey All, thanks for reading! As always i hope you enjoy the story as it comes to you. Some closing of many opened doors is happening and everything is heading to a crux.

As always, let me know what you loved, what you want to see more of and any constructive feedback. People who just want to whinge about Harry/Ginny or soulbonds can fuck right off. THANKS!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12. Naught Without Consequence**

A/N: Hey guys, been a while; real Author's note at the end of the chapter.

* * *

Harry and Ginny awaited their quarry, standing side by side in the place they had bonded, the last place they expected to return; The Chamber of Secrets.

The Anti-Portkey and Apparition wards had been set, their preparation - complete. Now they stood shoulder to shoulder, their robes shimmering slightly as they were facing the entrance, the musty mildew smell still permeated the air and the Chamber still retained it's green glow, however it was tinged with red due to the glow emanating from Harry's Glaives, which he gripped tightly, flexing his hands on their grips in anticipation; Intent on fighting and destroying his nemesis for the final time.

Stone grated against stone as the doorway opened, revealing the same man whose Horcrux had assaulted Ginny years ago, the man who had killed Harry's parents over a decade ago, the man that had the World gripped in terror for years before that, killing countless innocents in his insane quest to destroy every living thing, shrouding his true intentions with a war based on blood purity.

The form of Tom Riddle, the consequence of both Dumbledore's actions and inactions, emerged from the shadows of the entryway as he slowly, and cautiously edged forward into the room.

If Harry and Ginny were afraid of the man before them, neither showed it. Both faces wore nothing more than deep frowns above Green and Brown eyes respectively.

"It ends today Potter…" Tom Riddle sneered menacingly as he eventually came to halt standing before the pair, his expression confident, yet his voice seeming almost hollow, almost as if it were filled with a hastily covered fear.

"Potters, plural…" Harry corrected with a feral smirk, "and I couldn't agree more Tom."

"Don't call me by that name." Riddle grisled, as if he were a child bordering on tantrum.

"It's who you are… Tom…" Ginny smirked, her expression matching her husband's.

Tom glared at Ginny for a moment before a smile graces his lips. "I was willing to spare you girl, you could have been a broodmare, you would have been well cared for and produced powerful heirs, but for your continued insolence… I promise neither of your ends will be quick. CRUCIO!"

 **12 hours before the Chamber.**

Neville Longbottom had just addressed the group of proud fighters… warriors before him. His plan fully detailed, laid out before them. Both he and Grace had worked on it together for the better part of a week, ever since learning Voldemort had taken over Hogwarts.

The plan wasn't convoluted, nor was it exceedingly intricate, it was a basic and simple plan of luring Voldemort to where they wanted him and keeping him there, alone. There were a lot of ifs and buts, for example, if none of the Death Eaters acted as normal, the plan wouldn't work, if Voldemort didn't take the bait, people would die, and if they overestimated their own side's power against their enemies; it would be a glorified mass suicide.

But Neville was confident. The Death Eaters were simple people, very single minded, and Voldemort was as insane as they came; the only thing he believed was really left to chance, was if Harry and Ginny were capable of defeating Voldemort in a private setting, an uninterrupted and inescapable final battle.

The group, largely trained by and including the Flamels were all rather confident in Neville's plan and their own abilities, so they sent out scouts to simply observe and report, in the forms of Fred, Remus, Hermione and George while the rest prepared for the end of everything they had trained for.

 **20 minutes before the Chamber.**

The Potters, Longbottoms, Flamels, Weasleys, and Marauders strode through the gates of Hogwarts, Harry having blasted them open with a flick of his wand, sending them cartwheeling loudly over a hundred feet onto the grounds, while the Flamels worked together to shatter the wards with Raw Magic; none broke stride.

The walk through the grounds could have been described as leisurely were it not for the adrenaline coursing through them all in anticipation of the events that all knew were to follow, and the planning process that preceded this moment, with the preparation to suit.

As they reached the courtyard that gave way to the entrance hall of the great castle of Hogwarts, it was almost on cue, as Neville had described would happen; Voldemort and his minion army of miscreants strode purposefully through the now open doors. There were around fifty Death Eaters that Voldemort led through into the now crowded courtyard, the very last of his currently known Death Eaters.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't the terrifying Vigilantes," Voldemort preened as his boot lickers laughed nervously. Most were actually in fear of the small group before them, the rare couple that had survived previous battles spread word of their enemies power, resulting in an epidemic of fear through the ranks. "Have you come to surrender or die, Potter."

Harry and Ginny lowered their hoods, knowing already their covers had been blown, quite some time ago, "Neither Tom, I'm just here to claim what is rightfully mine, Secrets you missed within the Chamber." Harry said softly as he and Ginny then disappeared in a swirl of black.

Voldemort's eyes widened in shock at their words and sudden disappearance, "Take care of these! The Potters are mine." Voldemort then turned and headed back inside the castle. The doors slamming shut behind him, "The one who gets the most kills, gets Potter's whore." Voldemort's voice resounded throughout the grounds of the school.

Bill and a now Neville trained Fred Weasley, who both loved their sister dearly, boiled in anger. Though they knew that Harry and Ginny could handle themselves, they were quickly thinking that to protect their baby sister they were going to do their part and carve their way through these Death Eaters, letting Harry and their sister have Voldemort.

At the forefront of the group Neville lowered his hood, Blue Aura beginning to surround him, it wasn't anywhere near as powerful or violent as Harry's, but it still radiated an awesome, fear inspiring power.

Arms spread, sword in his right hand, wand in his left Neville stood before the enemy force. "Shall we commence?" He asked with a wide smile.

"Longbottom?!" Draco Malfoy roared in laughter.

"Leave him to me." Sneered another voice, which immediately caused Neville to snarl. "So Longbottom," Snape drawled as he stepped forwards, "You useless worm, thrown your lot in with Potter, again?"

Neville said nothing, a deep scowl on his face as the Death Eaters were practically vibrating with anticipation.

"You know, I heard all about that pretty little wife of yours…" Snape continued, "Once I've left her a widow I think I'll…" Nobody saw the movement but Neville.

Out of the corner of his eye, the very woman Snape was talking about made her move, the Shadow Step was quick and precise, like her movements, of which only he truly saw.

Her hood was now down as she stood before Snape, his eyes widened in shock as her piercing blue bored into his black. Her movement completed, he heard his hand fall to the ground, now separate from his body, he wanted to move to pick it up, but his body didn't respond, couldn't as that connection was now severed.

"You'll do nothing." Grace said darkly as she stared into Snape's eyes, "There is only on threat you Death Eaters make against us women, and I'm sick of it. This is for Jessica, Cassandra, Sarah and Emily!" she shouted viciously as she levelled her wand at the man, "Eviscerate!" Her screamed spell echoed through the land.

Draco watched wide eyed as Snape's innards were expelled from his body, his head fell from his shoulders and he blinked once, mouth moving slightly before death took him as its own.

Raising his wand at the girl who had taken his Godfather from him, his only real family left, Draco Malfoy had the killing curse on his lips. He very suddenly found his vision impeded by the form of Neville Longbottom, and felt his wrist snap within the man's iron hard grip. Malfoy squealed like a pig in pain and struggled, but the effort was fruitless and wasted for the moment.

Neville head butted Draco to the ground, tearing the wand from his grip as the Death Nibbling bastard collapsed under the assault. "You've always had choices, and you always chose wrong. You're a waste. Goodbye little Draco, Obliterate!"

The thin golden beam of light that erupted from Malfoy's wand within Neville's grasp, it impacted with his chest, Malfoy felt the magical energy hit him as though he were punched, the air forcibly expelled from him. He saw the Death Eaters around him break into battle as they charged forward, stepping over him, their wands drawn.

Draco tried to sit up but he no longer had the energy, reaching up slowly he touched the wound on his chest and it came away sticky with blood. 'It should hurt, shouldn't it?' He thought to himself. 'I always thought it would hurt.'

Looking to his side, he saw his wand that had been discarded by Longbottom, who'd since entered the fray. He could heal himself if he got it, Malfoy thought as he reached out for it, but the inches he knew it to be from him felt like miles. He had never been so tired in his life, his vision narrowed slightly before he closed his eyes, 'Perhaps I'll rest for a moment,' he thought, as the Malfoy boy's haggard breathing slowed, his pulse nonexistent since the magical energy enveloped and incinerated his heart and he knew no more, the Malfoy bloodline had reached its end.

* * *

"...CRUCIO!" Riddle roared, the spell made a quick break from his wand for Ginny, but she was ready for it and vanished in another swirl of Shadow.

Riddle looked around warily for the moment, expecting an attack in retaliation before turning his attention to Harry. "Your woman runs like a coward... she's left you for dead, Potter." He said as he conjured a blade, expecting both physical and magical attacks from the Boy-Who-Survived-too-often, standing defiantly before him.

"... So it seems." Harry replied smugly, knowing Ginny was nearby, ready to strike in an instant. "You know, last time we fought it didn't end too well for you, perhaps you should run, like the little bitch we both know you are." He taunted Riddle.

"Last time I was weakened, burdened by a damaged soul, as you know and saw." Riddle exclaimed, his usual monologue beginning, "This time however, I have changed. Rituals long lost have been performed…" he continued on as Harry just wondered what they could be as he stared down his nemesis, hopefully, if he had enough power, it would be for the last time.

With one wayward twitch from Riddle, Harry made his move leaping forward and swinging his main hand Glaive at Riddle's head, who blocked with a speed that matched that of Ginny, the battle was on. Spells and blades clashed, power crackling between to two as they fought a fight of which the likes hadn't been seen in centuries.

Ginny leapt back into the fray, unsurprising to Riddle, who merely parried her attack and caught her in the midsection with a kick, the movement was quick and precise, confirming to Harry that Riddle really was stronger and faster than the last time they had fought.

Ginny landed in a crouch and backflipped away, landing on her feet, awaiting another opening to strike. Throughout the furious battle, both she and Harry found many openings, some successful others parried as both teens slowly wore down Riddle's defences. He was just as successful in his attacks, causing small cuts and bruises which wore down and slowed both Potters throughout the course of the battle, testing the very upper limits of their stamina.

Harry, deciding that holding back his power for stamina now was fruitless, he went all in. With a grunt and a roar of power, the Aura surrounded him, sparks broke free and tracked along the ground.

Riddle wasn't standing around and waiting for an attack though, as quickly as he could he hurled his conjured sword at Ginny, who deftly ducked out of the way, only to be struck in the side by a well placed cutting curse.

Ginny let out a yelp and shadow stepped away again to assess and heal herself. It was sloppy on her part to let an attack like that through, and it spoke volumes for how far Riddle had come in the last few weeks. She'd seen for herself what he was last time, the battle Harry had fought to get to and face off Riddle, viewing the memory repeatedly in the Pensieve.

Checking her wound she saw it was deep, and bleeding profusely but hardly fatal. The blood loss would be troubling if she hadn't healed herself, but as it were, she was now taken care of. Ginny was about to let Harry know through the bond that all was well, but something was blocking her from him, looking down from atop the statue of Slytherin where she stood, she saw his Glaives had shifted from Red to Black, and the red of his aura too was quickly darkening. "Oh Shit." She said aloud, instantly remembering the blackness surrounding his eyes during the summer.

Harry who only saw Ginny get hit by Riddle's curse before she squealed and vanished, immediately imagined the worst, and he allowed what he had called his inner darkness to take over him.

His eyes immediately regained their under shadowed darkness that surrounded them after the Second task in his previous year, this time though the skin was cracked slightly, leaking a red aura he couldn't see. He felt he was in complete control, yet there was something else there; A visceral anger that exploded within. His red glaives and aura darkened turning black, and looked as though they were consuming the light that was in the room, the only things left that weren't blackened, were his green eyes and the golden sphere that represented Ginny's power within Harry.

Riddle quickly summoned his sword back as Harry attacked with renewed force, this time he was different however. His speed was mind boggling, the force of his blows, incomprehensible as he struck so fast that Riddle could barely keep pace. But his movements were hampered - he was blinded by his single minded rage that Ginny had been attacked, Riddle knew this and used it to his advantage.

He was furiously defending himself constantly from attacks that were coming from the enraged Harry, until Harry slowed slightly, changing his movements still getting used to his new speed. Riddle struck, jamming his sword into Harry's right shoulder.

"Argh!" Harry ground out in pain as he dropped one of his weapons. He quickly blocked the pain out as grabbed the sword along with Riddle's hand, crushed it and pulled him in closer, the sword cutting deeper as it protruded from his back.

"No need to fight it Potter," Voldemort said with a sweetness tinged in his voice, "I will show you true despair, and then you will die. I will ensure your soul goes to hell!"

"Then my ticket better be a double pass." Harry grunted, crushing Voldemort's hand tighter, causing his nemesis to gasp in pain, that being its own reward. "Because you're coming with me." He hissed.

Voldemort's eyes widened as he withdrew from Harry's grip with all of his force, sword going with him as he yanked backward; it slid from Harry's hand with ease as it was now slick with his own blood.

Harry summoned the Glaive he dropped when Voldemort had stabbed him and shifted them both into Wands and he brought the two tips together in front of him, he channelled every ounce of strength and power into the spell that he could, his aura started to swirl around and it seemed that it was assisting in forming a concentrated ball of magical energy at the tips of his wands.

Ginny, recognising what he was going to do was there in a flash, she holstered her own wands, and placed her hands over Harry's, causing his black bordered, emerald eyes to widen slightly upon seeing the red hair he so loved, before they narrowed back onto their quarry. She attempted to feed her own power through Harry's wands, but she was again hampered, no doubt by the darkness beginning to settle into Harry's heart and soul, it didn't completely stop her from forcing her magical energy through however.

The ground beneath them bucked and heaved under their combined power, as the Chamber around them began to crumble, the statue of Salazar Slytherin split and fell into the water below.

Voldemort looked on wide eyed, he cast a few spells, including the Cruciatus and Avada Kedavra at the pair, but they all curved from their trajectory and were drawn to, then absorbed into the ball of magic at the tips of the wands. He tried to apparate, and tried to use his emergency portkey, to no avail, he was about to turn and run when he heard them shout.

Sensing the spell was ready, Harry and Ginny both roared at the same time; "FINALIS MICO!" While Ginny hoped beyond hope that she had fed enough power into the spell so as to keep Harry from destroying himself, a flash of white light filled their vision, and consumed everything before them into nothingness, as their world faded to black.

* * *

Neville wiped his sword on his sleeve, cleaning the blood and gore off of it that had gathered, before he sheathed it.

Looking around, he was pleased with what he saw. They had successfully dealt with the entire defending force of Death Eaters, with only one minor injury. Sirius had taken a nasty gash to his leg, and after quickly Shadow Stepping to Potter Manor, to be healed by his best mate, he had returned to the fray, completely intact.

As Neville started to wonder how Harry and Ginny were doing, he felt the ground beneath him give a tremendous heave, spilling all of their force onto the ground unceremoniously.

"No…" Nicholas said softly, a tinge of fear and uncertainty tainting his usually confident tone.

"What is it?" Sirius asked from his position on the dirt, not wanting to stand again for the fact that the now shuddering Earth was only increasing in force, which would result in them all being dumped back onto the ground.

Nicholas shook his head as he watched, one; then another, then a massive projection of white light erupt from the earth near the Black Lake. Sitting there in horror, he observed as the magical energy projected along and then upward into the heavens, the pressure from the blast blowing out from the sides of the main beam of power as the ground gave a final heave, and all he saw was blackness.

"Nicholas!" He heard his wife shout through the blackness, "Love, we have to move!" She shouted in desperation as he slowly came to, pushing himself up slowly, his body straining in protest he looked around and saw smoke and a raging inferno coming from the direction the blast was in.

"Harry, Ginny…" He whispered. Sadness and despair setting in, he believed they could not have survived a blast of that magnitude, especially if they caused it.

"I don't know love," Perenelle said, as she hoisted Nicholas the remainder of the way to his feet and Shadow Stepped them a safe distance away.

Standing upon the parapets of the still intact castle, the force that had decimated the Death Eaters looked down, at what was remaining of the school grounds, being consumed by flame.

From far beyond the black lake, to the edges of Hogsmeade, the once majestic grounds were nothing more than cavernous as all had been consumed in the almighty blast from Harry and Ginny.

Nicholas' eyes were drawn to the edge of the crater where Neville stood, looking down upon the ground in concentration. Neville closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the magic around him. In his heart he knew his best friends had cast that spell, a spell they were afraid of using.

Fawkes landed on his shoulder and trilled softly. Directing his search to a different location amongst the wreckage of the school.

Magic seemed to swirl around Neville and his familiar, remnants of the blast, leftover magical energy, he did his best to push his concentration deeper, beneath the earth and raging inferno below to where Fawkes had directed him. Then he felt it, present but fading, 'There you are.' He said in his head, a thought which was projected in a way for his wife to hear. To all that were watching, it seemed as though Neville simply vanished from the spot, there was no word from him.

Then within moments, he re-appeared next to them all bearing two limp forms, one had hair blacker than the blackest void, the other had hair of almost living flame.

Nicholas made his way to the pair he thought of as his own children in a heartbeat. "He's dying… Her soul will soon follow..." He said softly after a moment's observation.

"Why? What can we do?" Sirius asked desperately looking up and around at the varied degrees of hopeless expressions, George, Bill and everyone else behind them were there too. All were looking on in fear that the ones that had been responsible for their heightened understanding of magic, fear that they wouldn't be able to complete what needed to be done to save the Wizarding World from itself.

"What can we do!?" Sirius screamed at everyone in a panic.

"There is nothing you can do, the spell he used." Nicholas shook his head softly, as Perenelle knelt beside him, tears tracking her soot covered cheeks. She hugged him softly, "He consumed every ounce of his magic, and even a good portion of his life force using that spell. It seems Ginny did her best to help… That they are still breathing is a miracle in itself, and a testament to their power. But they cannot survive."

Perenelle looked up and into Nicholas' eyes for a moment, and it appeared they were having a silent conversation, Neville knew better however, being able to do the same with his wife he knew they definitely were holding a secret conversation. Nicholas suddenly nodded and stood, bringing his wife of over 600 years to her feet with him, they then joined hands and stood over the young pair lying upon the ground. "Ut vitae merentur, quod est gratis datum." The ancient bonded pair said together, holding the same wand which was pointing down at the pair beneath them, then with a flash of indigo light, the colour of their auras, they collapsed together, beside the young ones.

* * *

Harry knew what he had done, he had condemned himself to death, and by doing so he did his wife too. The pair had agreed however, that if all seemed bleak, they would die in order to end Voldemort for good. The world would recover, Neville, Grace and the others could carry on with their legacy.

As he lay in the cold black of unconsciousness no strength to fight anymore, his life ebbing from his body, he felt a tearing deep within him, as though his soul was splitting. He could only surmise, with his weakened and slowing mind, that the feeling was Ginny beginning to pass on from this world too.

"In order to deserve life, it must be freely given." Harry heard a deep booming voice, clearly in his own mind. As if by some unknown force,he was lifted to his feet, he felt the tearing of his being cease, his energy restore and saw in the blackness of his own minds eye, his wife, Ginny appear before him.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered making her way to him, for the idea of speaking loudly didn't appeal to her at that moment. As soon as they touched hands and hugged each other, Harry felt whole once more, as though everything in the universe was right once more.

"Gin…" Harry whispered pulling back from her embrace to look into her eyes. Harry trailed one hand down her cheek and she leaned into his touch, the thought of losing each other making them crave the comfort of one another once more. "You heard that too?"

"Yeah…" She said softly as she looked around, their combined blackness of unconsciousness began to lighten to a greyed hue, before Nicholas and Perenelle coalesced before them both.

"Harry, Ginny…" Nicholas smiled at them. "... You did it!"

"We are so proud of you." Perenelle finished for her husband.

"What is this?" Harry and Ginny asked together, glancing at each other with a smirk before they turned their attention back to the pair before them.

"You both were dying." Nicholas said softly, a sad smile on his face, "You did it, you used Finalis Mortem to kill him didn't you." It was more statement than question.

"Nothing could survive that, you should know, you taught us the spell..." Ginny said softly before something clicked in her mind. "Wait… What did you do?"

"We freely gave our lives in place of yours." Perenelle said with a tear as she stepped forwards and embraced the girl she thought of as a daughter. "You still have so much to do, you are both icons, staples of the world and history, and we have lived such long, full lives."

Ginny held on to Perenelle tightly as the elder woman cried. "I love you both, you were more than pupils, you are our children." Perenelle uttered softly as she stepped back from Ginny and wiped her eyes.

"Harry," Nicholas said as he embraced his adoptive son, in all but the law. "I am so proud of you, how strong and capable you have become; I'm sure they, your parents, would be proud of you too." He then released Harry as his wife hugged him, he grabbed Ginny and held her close. "Ginny, I know you're mother would never say it, but we love you, and we're more proud of you than any parent could be. Keep Harry on the right path, keep yourself strong, you need each other, now so more than ever."

Ginny nodded, tears in her eyes as Nicholas and Perenelle released both her and Harry. She made her way to her husband and held Harry close. "We are fading." Perenelle said softly, as though drained of energy, "We love you." Then with a gust of wind, the elder pair were blown away into ash and dust, their surroundings became white light, and Harry and Ginny awoke.

* * *

The Bonded pair, lay upon the parapet of Hogwarts, surrounded by their friends and family. Eyes fluttered open, neither moved but just stared into one another's eyes as they regained consciousness and awareness of their surroundings.

'My Ginny…'

'My Harry…' Ginny responded, tears in her eyes as she looked at Harry. The darkness surrounding his eyes still there from the hard fought battle. The scar crossing his face from Voldemort's cutting curse which still stood in stark contrast to his pale skin, green eyes and dark surrounds, the face of the man she loved without question in her heart. '... You did it…' She finished her thought.

'We did it… The Flamels!' Harry almost shouted into her mind as he sat up. Every muscle in his body screaming in protest to the movement, for the moment he shunted all awareness of the pain aside.

Nicholas and Perenelle lay upon the ground beside him, lifeless.

"They gave their life force for you..." Neville said softly, but the sound was loud in the still of the air, the crackling and rushing of flames on the grounds below, set alight by Harry and Ginny's magic, was the only noise that could be heard, even being muted by the distance. "... You were dying, they had to do it… to restore you… to keep everything going…" Neville finished his thought, looking around the group that surrounded the now awake pair.

Harry and Ginny's eyes both followed Neville's, everyone's eyes held relief, it was marred slightly by sadness for the loss of the Flamels, but it was mainly relief.

'They didn't think they could continued without us…' Harry thought aloud to his wife who moved into his side.

'They see us as a beacon of hope, an answer to this never ending torment that is forced upon them.' Ginny thought quietly. 'As much as I know you hoped otherwise, I don't think Neville could lead them like you Harry.'

"I know…" Harry said softly answering both Neville and Ginny as she hugged deeper into his side, eyes looking up to meet Neville's pained expression, his friends eyes widened in shock.

"You were ready to die for what you believed in, like they did…" Neville said as he took in the blackness surrounding Harry's eyes as his friend made to stand. "... Don't squander their gift."

"We don't intend to…" Ginny whispered as she too stood up, but more slowly as she took in the scenery around them, the grounds decimated, the Forbidden Forest, Black Lake and Quidditch Pitch gone and the remainder was on fire. "But first we need to save the school."

* * *

Hours later, time spent preventing Hogwarts from being razed, the group of victors stood on the beach of the Flamel's Island, two bodies on one pyre, headstones carved from large rocks Neville had found in the forest on the island.

In Memory of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel

Friends, Mentors, Parents

"In order to deserve life, it must be freely given"

Once Harry had finished the quoted spell that saved he and Ginny, he stepped back into his wife's welcoming embrace. He was the first to speak.

"Nicholas was the first person aside from Gin to truly believe in me." Harry said thickly as a tear tracked down his cheek. "He… Nicholas and Perenelle, both gave me something few humans can give another, true purpose. I promise, I will earn your gift, your trust and your lives once more."

"I'm sure they'd say you already have, pup." Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently with a soft smirk.

"Perenelle was the first woman to show me the love of a mother." Ginny spoke softly, but everyone heard. Fred, George and Bill winced. "She and Nick gave me a home and a sense of belonging - outside of my life with Harry ofcourse."

Everyone in the group took their turn speaking about how the Flamels affected their lives for the better, before Grace and Neville stepped forward, lighting the Pyre, with a whoosh, the bodies were consumed in flames, obstructing their view of the stone markers and bodies of their loved ones.

Pyrignis and Fawkes sat atop the Pyre, unaffected by the flames being creatures of the flame themselves. They sang a soft mournful tune before Pyrignis took flight, bursting into flame in the distance, he was not seen again.

Later Fawkes would tell Neville, Pyrignis lived a selfless and noble life; for which he was granted access into the realm of the Phoenix, free from the world and feuds of Mortals. It was the paradise all creatures of the Flame aspired to.

* * *

The group of friends and family once more found themselves congregated around the living room of Potter Manor.

It was a sombre mood that permeated the air. But one tinged with relief, Voldemort had been dealt with, the bulk of his Death Eaters annihilated, now all that was left was the disassembly of the Magical governments and the integration of the Magical and Muggle worlds, "not much really," Harry said in jest.

Harry's plan was to visit the British Muggle Prime Minister and explain to him that Wizarding kind needed to be integrated slowly into Non Magical society. They could aid non magical people in all areas of life, be it construction, cooking or security, for which in return they could be exposed to technology which seemed like magic to the average Pureblooded Wizard or Witch.

Hermione however said that she would prefer deal with the man, as it would be easier from her perspective of being a Muggleborn, whereas Harry was merely a slave to a Muggle family. She had a plan detailed where she would approach in an honest way appealing to the man's better nature, if it failed she would take Harry and Ginny for a second, more forceful visit.

She then directed Harry and Ginny towards the ICW, stating that it would need to be dismantled. If there was a way to deal with the entire mess peacefully, they would find a way, however if not, he wouldn't hesitate to unleash his blade.

Hemel Hempstead was set to hold the next meeting, Harry and Ginevra Potter would be attending.

 **20 Years Later**

"And so with the fall of the Ministry of Magic, and the disbanding of the ICW, everyone had thought the Vigilantes had won and were ready to surrender to their will. Yet they didn't kill, they didn't continue to destroy like the wizarding society had been led to believe. They helped them, they allowed them to integrate into Non Magical Society, showing the Wizards and the Non magicals that all could be peaceful." The woman said to her daughter, both had hair of flame, the mother with brown eyes, the daughter with green.

"How?" The daughter asked with the innocence only a child under ten could.

"Well dear, in the first year they dismantled all of the Corrupt Magical Governments, quelling any upstarts like Voldemort in the process." The mother explained, keeping the details light for her daughter. There were a lot of deaths in that first year, most were Death Eaters and Dark Lord Wannabes, but they did lose one, Sirius Black, their enemies paid dearly for that death. "In the second, they worked on integration, preventing fights, battles and wars brought on by fear and the deeply ingrained prejudices of the Pure Blooded Society. By the fifth, they merely watched and observed, making less and less appearances before they faded into the background, while the unknown had become the normal."

"Mum, what happened to the Vigilantes after they finished helping? Where did they go?" The daughter asked, she had attended Non Magical Schooling from a young age and was accepted as a young witch, even envied by non magicals.

"No one really knows, they just disappeared, but many believe they are still watching and waiting, looking over us all, their Righteous Fury stayed for the moment by the lasting peace." The mother said tucking her daughter in as she stood and turned out the light. "Don't worry Lily, I'm sure they are still around, keeping us safe and ensuring a future for us all."

"I hope I get to meet them one day…" Lily trailed off with a yawn.

"I hope you don't have to… Goodnight, get some sleep. I love you."

"Love you too mum," Lily answered in a tired whisper.

The mother closed the door almost all the way, leaving a small gap for the light to enter, so her daughter, her youngest, Lily Perenelle Hermione Potter, needn't fear the dark.

Making her way upstairs, she encountered her husband encouraging their oldest, James Nicholas Arthur Potter, as it was his first day of Magical School tomorrow. He would attend Hogwarts, for that tradition was kept, however he would still learn the three core Non Magical Classes, Math, English and Science while present. This added an extra year of schooling to Hogwarts, which wasn't optional.

Sirius Neville Remus Potter, the second son of Ginevra and Harry Potter was listening intently from his bed next to his older brother. He was keen to start his magical training too, however they all had some training from their parents; for who would the Vigilantes be if they didn't ensure their own children were powerful and prepared for anything that may come.

* * *

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* * *

A/N: So I tried not to make it obvious, but I lost a lot of passion for this story long ago, and have attempted to write an ending several time; deleting many in the process. I did my best to keep the characters I'd turned them all into true to themselves, but in saying that I also had to end the story - I had many different ideas for the final battle, however none of them seemed to fit.

This is the end, I tried to make that point clear by using a time skip epilogue. I could have written the whole dismantling of the Governments, but it would have dragged out far too long and killed it for me more than it already had been. In hindsight, I would have liked to have Harry stomp Riddle to death out the front of Privet Drive, but what's done is done.

The names of the children - Not Canon obviously, I couldn't exactly have them named after people their parents had killed, and the use of two middle names is common, both of my Sons have two middle names.

I apologise for any spelling/Grammar issues, My Beta abandoned me before the last chapter was released, also part of the reason I lost motivation on this story.

* * *

On another note altogether; For those following the Saiyan Legacy, I have been working on that in the meantime - this will not be released until the Dubbed Version of Super is complete, I would like to directly quote the English version rather than the Japanese. ~Spoiler~ Harry will be joining the Z Fighters in their universe, undecided if temporary or permanent.

Another story I have been working on is a Slytherin Harry, titled Harrison Black. I'll let you guess about that one.

Neither of the above will begin to be released until complete, I do not want a repeat of this where it became a year between updates.

Again, thank you all for your positive, or constructive criticism reviews, I really appreciate it. For the toxic guest reviews that I've had to delete (cowards), and the people who for some reason can't handle THE CANON H/G pairing; Seriously, fuck off.


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